


Transformations

by MaresThird



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Emotional Baggage, F/F, Family Issues, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Headaches & Migraines, Horror, Horses, Hurt/Comfort, Loads of Triggers, Medical Procedures, Psychological Trauma, Sisters, Suicidal Thoughts, Survivor Guilt, Torture, Veterinary Medicine, Werewolves, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-07 04:29:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 98,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15900906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaresThird/pseuds/MaresThird
Summary: Tobin Heath is a suicidal private investigator.Alex Morgan is a grief stricken veterinarian.They meet under unusual circumstances and are forced together during a dangerous time. There's an instant connection and attraction, but can the two get over their pasts and current situations and find their happily ever happily?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Safe to say, there's loads of trigger topics in this fic, so please, be aware. 
> 
> It's a weird AU, I hope you enjoy it.

Thursday, September 7th 

3rd Day of Full Moon

 

“Thank you again, Alex, for coming out so late,” Mrs. Harrison says as she hands a gear bag over to Alex, “I knew that delivery was going to be difficult for Sunshine.” 

“I’m just glad that Momma and baby are doing fine,” Alex smiles at her, “you know the only concept of time that horses have is feeding time. They deliver when they deliver.” She shoves the bag into the back of her cabbed pickup truck. 

“You’re good to drive home? It’s so late.” The older woman asks kindly. 

Alex nods, “Yes, I’m still hyped up. New life is always so exciting.” She grins at her as she closes the tailgate. “I think that one is going to be a pistol for you.” 

“He’s here and healthy because of you, Dr. Morgan.” Mrs. Harrison smiles again and hugs her. “Thank you.” 

“You’re very welcome,” Alex nods, fishing her keys from her pocket, “I’ll see you in a few days to check him out.” 

“I’ll have Nadine call you if she thinks anything’s up.” Mrs. H. replies, stepping back from the truck, “Good night,” 

“Good night,” Alex says, opening the door, taking a step on the running board and entering the vehicle. She starts it up, glancing at the time on the console. 2:13 a.m. Tomorrow will be fun. She hopes she can nap at some point between patients in the clinic. 

Mrs. Harrison owns a stable full of horses, mostly retired race horses and she breeds them, making millions on her shrewd instincts. Her second in command, Nadine Angerer, is from Germany and is a gifted trainer. Alex likes them a lot. They are smart, kind and good to the horses. Any of the horses Mrs. H. breeds, raises and trains are only sold when they are two and a half years old. That gives the new owners time enough to get to know the horse and it doesn’t allow them to over train it before racing season, thus not giving them a chance to injure it. 

Mrs. H. doesn’t let them go without them being in excellent shape and does it that way, so the horse can have a good natural life and not be trained brutally for racing from birth. Alex respects that. 

Most of the owners in this area follow her example, slowly setting a new guide line for the racing industry. Alex loves it here, out in the sticks, yet only twenty minutes from her home and ten from the college town she technically lives in. The city is an hour away, but she rarely goes there except to visit a few of her sorority sisters who work at the children’s hospital. They like coming to her, to slow down and enjoy a weekend in the country, as they call it. 

Alex flicks the knob to turn the heat up, it’s gotten chilly and there’s a light fog covering the road. The trees still have their leaves, they haven’t turned color yet, fall here is just gorgeous. The moon is full and bright, creating shadows on the road from the overhead tree branches. She’s on a two-lane black top road, twisting through the woods, looking forward to getting back in bed. 

She sighs, wishing she had someone there to keep her warm on a night like tonight. It’s been a while since she’s been with anyone, since her sister was ill and then passed, it’s been almost two years. Her assistant at the clinic, Allie sets her up as often as Alex will allow, usually with someone from the college that her husband works with. She’s met some nice people, but nothing has clicked. She’s not one for one night stands, it’s not in her nature. 

She knows she hasn’t been ready, opting to throw herself in research and new treatment practices. Last month, she completed her paper for the national journal on her stem cell treatment for knee injuries to horses. She’s been asked to speak at the national convention on the topic and has been getting calls and emails from vets across the country with questions and seeking opinions. 

It’s kept her busy, distracting her from actually grieving the loss of her sister. She’s surrounded by her, Hell, she lives in her house now. She knows she needs to clean out her belongings, but she just doesn’t think she’s ready yet. Her parents’ and her other sister Jen have been patient, only recently asking her if they could come and help and maybe kick start things. 

Maybe this weekend she’ll do something, one little thing to start. Maybe clean out the dresser drawers of the medications or something. I should do it, she thinks, I should do a lot of things, like stop kidding myself that I’m alright and face that Jeri is gone and I need to move on. She sighs, I’ve got to pull myself together. It’s time. 

She’s contemplating this as she rounds a curve, her eyes widening at what’s in front of her. These, shapes, these weird, black shapes, blacker than the black of the night, are crossing the road at a fast pace. Wait, they’re fucking floating across it. 

She slows the truck down from fifty-five, easing off the gas, looking to her right at these, these, things. Her mind clamps on to the Death Eaters from the Harry Potter movies, that’s what they look like. 

Alex glances back to the road, letting out a screech, seeing a reddish, brownish object dart out into the road in front of her. She slams on the brakes, hearing the sickening thud, a yelp and then silence. She puts the truck in park, turns on her hazards, grabs her flashlight from the side pocket of her door and exits. 

“Oh, no!” She exclaims, quickening her pace, seeing the motionless animal on the road. She swings her flashlight to the right, not seeing any trace of the weird shapes she saw just moments ago. To the left, there’s just the bushes that edge along the road. The frogs and crickets chirping. 

It’s either a dog, a coyote or a wolf. It’s too large to be a fox, fuck, she thinks, I hope it’s not someone’s pet. Her light shines down on the form of a what appears to be a wolf. An unconscious wolf. It has a head wound and one of its’ front legs looks injured. 

Alex decides to wait a minute before approaching, giving the animal time to recover if it’s only stunned. She looks it over, marveling at the beautiful reds and browns in its’ fur. It’s lean and large, maybe about one hundred and twenty pounds or so, Alex judges. 

She’s treated wild animals before, there’s a wolf sanctuary not too far from here that she’s done work for. They’ve been great getting animals healthy again and introduced back to the wild. She’s never seen a wolf like this, it’s beautiful. 

After five minutes, the animal is not moving but Alex can see the steady fall and rise of its’ chest. It’s alive. Not wanting to just leave it there and possibly suffer another hit by a car or be out in the woods injured and likely to starve through the approaching winter, she drops her shoulders and heads to her truck. 

She opens the back, using a small rod to pull the large metal cage forward, opening the front of it. She grabs a blanket, pulling it to the edge of the tailgate. She gets in the truck and backs slowly towards where the wolf lies, so she won’t have to carry it any distance. Once it’s in the cage, she’ll be able to sedate it and then assess the injuries. 

She turns the light on the back of the liftgate and shuts off her flashlight. She maneuvers the blanket underneath the animal, hoisting it up. As she turns towards the truck, she hears a growl. She looks down, the wolf in her arms is out cold. She looks up and hears a branch snap. Another low growl. She gets the wolf in the cage, slides the cage door shut and locks it. She pushes the cage forward, holding the stick, grabbing her flashlight and slamming the back closed. 

She shines the light and sees a lone grey wolf, looking at her, just out from the bushes. Watching her warily. Alex makes her way to the side of her truck, shining the light on the animal. As she shuts the door, she scans the area with her light, startled to see the yellow reflections of eyes from more animals hidden amongst the bushes. 

Spooked, she shifts her truck in gear and hauls ass out of there. She swears she hears howling as the truck speeds down the road. 

 

She backs into her garage that’s attached to the clinic, closing the door before she shuts off her engine. She sits in the vehicle, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. That was a close call. She slides out of the truck, shutting the door softly. She looks and finds no damage on the truck, reasoning she must have hit the wolf with her bumper. She opens the tailgate and then the liftgate, seeing the caged animal is still not moving. 

She unlocks the side door to the clinic, grabbing a stainless steel push cart in the hallway and bringing it to the back of the truck. She slides the cage onto it and pushes it forward into the clinic, making sure to lock the door behind herself. She’s uneasy about the whole thing, that wolf watching her like that. 

In the main exam room, Alex flicks on the light to finally get a good look at the animal. She slowly puts her hand in the cage, gently moving the right paw towards her. She goes to the cabinet and gets the supplies to start an IV. 

She shaves a patch of fur, swabs it with alcohol, finds the right spot and gently places the needle in, getting the port in place and administering a sedative. Then she gets the line going for the bag of fluids. 

Satisfied that the animal now will not wake up unexpectedly, Alex slides the clips from the top of the cage, lifting it off and setting it on the ground. She unhooks the sides, letting them lower and hang down. 

Heart rate, blood pressure and respirations appear within the low side of the normal range. Alex grabs the suture kit and cleans the bloody head wound, marveling how soft the fur is on the animal’s head. This animal seems too clean to have been out in the wild, she muses as she stitches up the wound that’s high above the left eye. It doesn’t have any matting or burrs from the woods or fleas or ticks even. 

It’s a strange wolf to her, not like any she’s ever seen around here. She notes the dark spot of dirt on the left side of the ribs, preparing the X-ray machine. She shoots some photos of the entire animal, thinking they’d be cool to hang in one of the other exam rooms. 

When she pulls the trays and clips them to the viewing light, she’s surprised to see no fractures of the ribs on the left side, they must certainly be bruised badly. The front left leg has a fracture of the radius. It looks as if there had been a break to it a long time ago as well. Interesting. 

Skull, spine, and hips are clear. The left back leg shows old fractures in the knee and near the paw. This female wolf got very lucky. Probably really got its’ bell rung and has a slight concussion. She lifts the lid of one the wolf’s eyes, flashing her penlight in, seeing the pupil is reactive. She checks the other one, it reacts the same, but she holds it open for a moment to marvel at the warm honey color. She sets the leg, wraps it up and strokes the soft fur. She knows the wolf won’t wake for hours from the sedative, but she still puts on a cone around the neck, taping the IV line firmly to the right paw and then puts up the sides and top, locking it in place. She pushes the cart to the wall, clamping the cage down to the cart and then to the wall, ensuring that if the wolf moves around in there, it won’t tip the cage. 

She cleans up the used supplies, now feeling tired and sees it’s almost four in the morning. She takes a few photos of the wolf, intending to find out just what type of species it is. She unlocks the back door, shuts off the light and locks up before walking the twenty feet to her house. 

Once in her room, she awkwardly stumbles out of her clothes, falling into her bed. She cracks an eye open and fumbles for her phone, setting the alarm for six so she can check on the wolf. Allie will be in at eight or so, she’ll check to see when the wolf sanctuary opens. 

 

Friday, September 8th 

1st Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

“Shit,” Alex mutters, seeing the time on her phone, it’s almost six thirty. She must have snoozed through her snoozes a few times. She rolls out of bed, nearly sliding to the floor, catching her balance and heading to the bathroom to shower quickly and get herself going for the day. 

It’s just after seven when she opens the front door to the clinic, her phone chirping a text notification. 

_Allie: Overslept a little, stopping for coffee, want some?_

“Oh, bless you, Al,” Alex mutters, typing her reply. 

_Alex: YES! 2 breakfast sandwiches, some doughnuts, 2 coffees, PLEASE???_

_Allie: Uh, have an overnight guest? ;)_

“Yeah, I wish,” Alex mutters, typing out her reply. 

_Alex: I was on a call all night. I’m starving!_

_Allie: Did Sunshine deliver? How was it?_

_Alex: I’ll tell you while we eat. Hungry!!!!!!!_

_Allie: Getting in the shower now, be there around 8:45_

Alex’s stomach rumbles as she types. 

_Alex: K_

Alex goes behind the reception counter, checks for any messages and then boots up the main computer. She heads to the back to the exam room, intent on seeing the wolf. She opens the door slowly, not wanting to make much noise and flicks on the light. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?” she exclaims loudly, backing into the wall. 

In the cage is a woman. 

A naked woman. 

A very naked woman. 

A very beautiful naked unconscious woman.


	2. Chapter 2

Friday, September 8th   
1st Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

Alex takes a step closer, the woman is on her right side, the cone, unwrapped and curling up the side wire netting of the cage. She sees fresh stitches on her left temple, immediately looking and seeing a swollen left wrist, the remnants of the wrap still attached to her skin. 

“What the…” Alex whispers, stepping closer to see some redness and bruising on her ribs, tape hanging off her right arm, the IV port on the floor of the cage. 

“Is this some twisted joke?” she wonders aloud. 

The woman is tan, her left leg curled up, her right ankle and foot hanging out of the cage. She sees her calf has some scars on it, her left knee has an old surgical incision. She’s in excellent shape, muscular, lithe, her long brown hair is tangled around her neck and slightly covers her mouth and nose. 

Did I hit her last night, Alex wonders, was I so tired that I just imagined the wolf thing? What about those black floaty things?

Her phone chirps, making her flinch and a squeak with fright. With shaky hands she sees the text from Allie. 

Allie. Oh my God, what will she think? I hit someone and dragged them in here. She’ll never believe it was a wolf. I’ve got photos and X-rays, though. She’ll still think I’m crazy.

_Accident on 38, be there closer to nine thirty, line for DD is on the street._

Think, now you’ve got some time. Should I call an ambulance? How would I explain how she got here? That I treated her? As an animal? 

Fuck! What should I do? She feels sick to her stomach at the thought of hitting someone as she replies. 

_No prob, first appt. is at 10._  
Holding a hand to her head as a tension headache builds, she wonders what she should do. She's tired, confused and scared. 

I’ve got to get her out of here, Alex decides, the lack of sleep, panic and poor judgement creating her game plan. 

She quickly unclips the cage from the wall, getting the top and sides off and down, rolling it to the middle of the room. She positions the woman on her back, takes some X-rays of her head, neck, spine, arms, ribs, and legs. She checks her eyes, her pupils are responsive to light, so she doubts she has a serious head injury. She hopes she doesn’t have any internal bleeding. 

She finds a blanket to throw over her, the woman is lying on her back, her legs dangling over the side of the cart. Alex gets the X-rays, looking at them by holding them up in the air to the light. A fractured left radius, low near the wrist. She can’t see any signs of internal bleeding. The bruising is evident on the left side of her ribs. Everything else looks fine to her eyes. The same injuries as the wolf from last night. 

She grabs all of the X-rays, including the wolf ones, putting them on the shelf of the cart. She checks her phone, she’s got about an hour and a half before Allie gets here. 

She gets a foam block, sets the woman’s arm on it, carefully feeling the radius bone to locate the fracture. The woman lets out a low groan, not moving but causing Alex’s heartrate to spike. She gets a cloth sleeve and the VetRap out, cutting off a longish piece and begins to wrap the wrist, sets the bone amid the woman’s mumbling, and creates a decent cast. She checks the stitches, they’ve held, look neat and shouldn’t leave a terrible scar. 

Satisfied, she throws the blanket back over her, opens the back door and pushes her out on the cart to the house. 

Once in, she’s thankful it’s a ranch and only one level. She steers the cart down the wood floor hallway to the guest room off the living room. She folds down the side of the hospital bed, left there still from her sister during her hospice phase. She grabs an incontinence pad and lays it flat on the bed. She gets down on her knees, crawling over to plug in the bed, standing and raising the height so she doesn’t have to drop the poor woman. 

She looks around in the closet, finding the cervical collar and carefully placing it around the woman’s neck. She’s not sure if she has any whiplash, but hopes it would help if she does. Gently, she lifts her to the bed, straightening her legs, making sure she’s flat on her back and placing a pillow behind her head. 

“Katie,” the woman mumbles in a low scratchy voice, dragging out the name, making Alex freeze. Alex shakes her head and moves to the closet. She pulls out the bin of her sister’s medications, tossing bottles aside until she finds the one she wants. 

“No,” the woman moans, her legs moving slightly, she’s trying to move her head, “please, no,” Alex can make out her saying. 

Oh fuck, she thinks to herself as she opens a new syringe, this is super sketchy, what am I doing, what am I doing, I’m going to ruin my career, go to jail, what am I doing. 

She grabs the bin again, finding the small elastic band and an unopened alcohol wipe. She ties the band around the woman’s bicep, noting the toned definition, and wipes at her skin just above the elbow. She locates the brachial artery and inserts the needle, pressing on the plunger as she prays the woman doesn't have any allergies. The woman quiets quickly as the drugs enter her system. 

Alex elevates the bed, so the woman is in a slightly upright position and it’s easier for her to breath, then goes back to the closet. She applies the padded restraints to her ankles and her right wrist, deciding to put the last one just above her cast. She knows the Midazolam will knock her out for most of the day. She had to use it before with her sister, she just hopes the woman doesn’t have any allergies to it. As an afterthought, she roots around the closet and finds an adult diaper, it’s large on the woman but will do the job.   
Alex finds the warm quilted comforter in the closet, gently draping it over the woman, pausing to brush back the brown hair from her face. The woman seems quiet now, at rest. 

 

Allie. 

 

Alex quickly looks at her phone, noting she has about twenty minutes before she’s supposed to arrive. She grabs the X-rays and other materials from the cart, shoving them in the closet, shutting the door. 

She leans against the closed door, raising her hand to her forehead, “What have I done?” 

She takes the cart out of the house, locking the door securely before entering the clinic. She makes sure the exam room is clear of any evidence she was here last night and this morning. Satisfied no trace is left and feeling like a criminal, she exits the room and goes to the reception area, sitting down behind the desk. 

She looks up wolves and the different varieties, finding the Red Wolf that looks like the one from last night. She’s surprised to find that they are only local to the coast of North Carolina. How the heck does a wolf like that get all the way to the Midwest, she wonders. The lone wolf that growled at her, looked exactly like a grey timber wolf. It’s kind of weird for different types to run in the same pack with each other. Maybe they weren’t. 

She hears a car pull up, exits the screen and clears her search history. She opens her billing file and pulls up Mrs. H.’s account to starts to prepare the bill for the foal delivery from last night. 

“Morning,” Allie says with a groan, “that was the worst,” she sets the cardboard drink holder down on the desk, “traffic was horrible,” she hands a cup to Alex, “this is yours.” Allie unwraps a sandwich and takes a bite.

“Thank you!” Alex exclaims, lunging forward to grab it, opening the top so she can take a drink. “I didn’t get to sleep until about four.” 

“Same here,” Allie groans loudly with a full mouth, “Thirsty Thursday.” 

“Ugh,” Alex laments, “do you need some Tylenol?” 

“Took three already,” Allie says as she takes a drink, “I just need food.” 

“I need a nap.” Alex mutters as she unwraps her sandwich. “I hope today goes fast.” 

“So, tell me about Sunshine’s baby!” Allie squeals, sitting down next to her. 

They catch up on their previous evenings, Allie’s more humorous, talking about how her and her husband Bati got into mischief at a karaoke bar, Alex leaving out the wolf and the black things on the road. And the unconscious woman restrained in a bed in her house. 

The first appointment comes in on time and they start their day. Alex is glad that the morning moves fast, leaving little time for her and Allie to chat, she’s still so nervous about everything that happened. 

Alex heads to her house for lunch, like she normally does, ripping open a granola bar in the kitchen as she walks in to the guest room. 

The woman is still unconscious, her head slightly tilted against the cervical collar, lips parted, mouth open a little. Alex stares at her long eyelashes resting on her cheeks, her high cheekbones, an amazing jaw. She’s staring at what’s visible of her neck, wondering if the skin is soft. Stop it, you creep, she chastises herself, this is like that book Misery by Stephen King. She shakes her head. Stop being so weird. 

Alex does a quick check on her vitals, everything is in the normal range. She changes the diaper out, trying not to be distracted by the woman’s defined thighs or the cut abdominal muscles. She glad to find no blood in the woman’s urine, feeling pretty good that there’s no internal bleeding. She sees the bruise forming on her ribs, knowing they’ll be quite sore. She hopes she can wrap them tonight when the woman awakes. 

When she returns to the clinic, Allie is having a conversation with two women in the reception area. The shorter of the two, a brown haired petite woman, is gesticulating wildly with her hands as she rapidly and excitedly speaks about getting a kitten. The other woman, much taller with dark hair locks eyes with Alex and gives her a curt nod. 

It unsettles Alex, who moves behind the counter and out of sight of them, but still hearing the conversation. The shorter one asks many questions, about treatment, what services they offer, usual stuff, but the way she phrases it makes Alex suspicious. The tall, dark haired woman doesn’t speak, her eyes scanning the reception room. 

They depart in a few minutes, relieving Alex and she steps back to Allie. “What did they want?” she asks. 

Allie frowns, “They said they just moved into the area and want to adopt a kitten and were looking for a vet, but it was weird.” 

Alex nods, “Just the little I heard was,” she shrugs, “awkward? Suspicious?” 

Allie nods, “Yeah, like they were trying to figure something out.” She checks the appointment log on the screen. “The Clamsell’s cancelled, Pupper is back to normal.” 

“Oh, good,” Alex says, glad the scruffy dog had stopped vomiting, moving to the window and seeing a dark car leave the parking area, “do you think they were looking for drugs or something?” 

“Maybe,” Allie shrugs, she looks at Alex, frowning, “it was kinda the vibe I got from them. They don’t look like it, though.” 

“Huh,” Alex murmurs, “well, I guess you can never tell what people are hiding.” 

“True,” Allie says softly. 

“Was Pupper the last appointment slot?” Alex asks, scanning the log, noting the next one should be here soon. 

“Yep!” Allie smiles, looking out the window, “only two left after this one, and they’re here!” she turns to Alex, “I can’t wait to see how Macho is doing, he’s so cute!” 

Alex laughs, “He is! Little Macho Man!” she greets as the owners come in, the children smiling seeing Allie. 

Three hours later, the two are locking up for the weekend. Allie nudges her, “Be careful, okay?” she advises, “I don’t like you being here by yourself,” 

“I’ll set both alarms,” Alex nods, “those two kinda give me the creeps.” 

“Alright, what are you doing this weekend?” Allie asks as she packs up lunch bag. 

Alex shrugs, “Nothing much, sleep now, clean the house, watch some TV,” she looks around, “I need to figure out what conferences I’m to go to this spring.” 

“That’s right!” Allie grins, “Keynote speaker! You’re _so_ in demand!” 

The move to the door, Alex punching the code on the keypad and locking the door. “Have a great weekend in the city!” she says, giving Allie a hug, “Tell Bati I said to go easy on the tequila!” 

“We both will tonight!” Allie laughs, rubbing her forehead, “But I don’t know about tomorrow!” 

She enters the house, glad she got through the day without acting too weird with Allie and sets the alarm, telling herself everything would be fine. She drops her backpack, hoping she doesn’t get any emergency calls over the weekend, all she wants to do is chill out. 

Well, chill out and find out about the mystery woman currently recovering in her sister’s old room. 

 

And maybe not going to jail. 

 

She gets a glass of water and heads toward the room, hearing some noises. She stops to listen and hears the woman is quietly crying. 

Oh, fuck, she’s shouldn’t be awake yet, unless I calculated the dosage incorrectly. I didn’t. I know I didn’t. I triple checked it. She tip toes to the door, leaning her head forward to peer in. 

The woman is weakly trying to move her legs, but Alex sees her eyes are shut. Taking a chance, Alex moves to the side of the bed, gently placing her hand on the woman’s forehead, careful not to touch her bruise or wound. 

“Sssshh,” she coos, her voice soft, “you’re okay, you’re safe.” 

The woman lets out a soft sob, her face wet with tears. 

“It’s gonna be okay,” Alex says gently, “you’ll be alright, I promise.” She doesn’t know what possesses her, but Alex moves her hand and wipes her tears away with the side of her thumb, then softly cupping her hand to hold the side of her face. 

The woman soon calms, nuzzling her jaw into Alex’s hand and letting out a soft sigh. Alex stays there for a minute, moving her fingers to pull the loose hair from the woman’s face. She’s pale from the trauma but has much more color than she did in the morning. 

She’s strikingly beautiful, Alex thinks, shaking her head. Stop it, you’ll be lucky if she doesn’t press charges and put you in jail. 

She walks to the recliner, deciding to nap a little before making herself something to eat. She’s hopeful the woman will awake soon and they can talk. She stretches out, setting her water cup down on the side table, staring at the sleeping woman.

Her eyes grow heavy from the lack of sleep and emotions of the last fourteen hours and soon she’s out. 

Alex knows she’s dreaming that she’s cooking dinner and her sister Jeri is next to her, healthy and laughing at her, telling her she needs to add water to the dish before it burns. 

Water, water, water. She keeps repeating it and no matter how many times Alex puts water in the dish, smoke appears and the food starts to burn. 

She wakes with a flinch, rubbing her eyes, and looking over to see the woman is sleepily blinking at her, her honey colored eyes watery and half lidded. 

“Water,” she chokes out, “please,” she shuts her eyes again, as if the exertion of speaking was too much. Alex figures it’s the drugs, she’s probably still pretty out of it. 

Alex quickly goes the kitchen, finding a pack of straws in the third cabinet she looks in, bringing it back to pop into her water cup. She stands next to the woman, “Here,” she says, offering the cup and bending the straw to her lips. 

The woman sucks greedily on it, drinking half of it before taking a breath. 

“Thanks,” she mumbles, trying to open her eyes fully and not succeeding. She lifts her head to gaze at her surroundings, scrunching up her forehead in confusion. She looks up at Alex, “Hospital?” 

“No,” Alex shakes her head, how the Hell do I explain this to her and not make her freak out, she wonders. She gets down on one knee and leans close to the bed, “I hit you with my truck last night and I couldn’t just leave you there, so I brought you here and helped you out.” 

“Oh,” she scrunches up her forehead again, making Alex think how adorable she looks, then shakes her head, “you hit me?” she questions, her eyes slightly glazed over, squinting at Alex. 

“I hit a wolf last night,” Alex states, quietly, “and this morning, I found you in the cage I had left the wolf in.” 

“Are you a witch?” the woman whispers, her voice rising in pitch, her eyes now large, fear etched in her eyes. 

“No,” Alex shakes her head, “I’m a veterinarian,” she explains, “that’s why I brought you, the wolf, in to my clinic last night.” 

The woman drops her eyes, slowly letting a breath out, she attempts to move her right hand but is stopped by the restraint. She pulls against it, biting her lower lip as she again tries to free herself. A squeak of terror comes from her mouth as she fights against it, wincing from pain. 

Her eyes are clamped shut, she swallows, then clears her throat, “Please don’t hurt me,” she begs, as a tear leaks from her eye. 

“I won’t, I won’t” Alex assures her, quickly standing up, flipping the comforter up and releasing the wrist restraint on her right arm, “I just did it so you wouldn’t fall out of bed and hurt yourself while I was at work today,” she explains, her words coming out fast, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to scare you, I won’t hurt you,” she moves to the foot of the bed and releases the straps on her ankles. Then she sits on the chair next to the bed, slowly releasing the strap from her left arm. 

The woman quickly draws her arm away, raising it and bringing it to her head, but she doesn’t realize how heavy it is with the cast on and slams it into her head, “Ow!” she yelps, letting her arm drop to the bed. 

“Oooh!” Alex winces, that had to hurt, she thinks. “Sorry,” 

The woman raises her arm slowly, using her right hand to grab it, squinting at the cast. She lowers her arm and brings her right hand to her forehead, gingerly massaging it. 

“You have a broken wrist,” Alex supplies her, “and some bruised ribs and those stitches and maybe a little concussion.” 

“What…time...is it?” the woman asks, wincing and swallowing again. 

“It’s almost six,” Alex replies, looking at her cautiously, she’s not looking too good right now. 

“Gonna be sick,” The woman groans, struggling to sit up. Alex turns and dumps the plastic bin out that was sitting on the dresser behind her, the loose items spilling to the floor. She brings it up just in time as the woman heaves violently, moaning in pain, her right hand clutching at her ribs as she vomits. 

She falls back onto the mattress, breathing heavy and wincing with each breath. Alex silently leaves the room and enters the attached bathroom, emptying the tray, washing it out and coming back quickly with a hand towel and wet washcloth as well as the bin. 

She gently wipes the woman’s face, cleaning it of vomit and saliva, as the woman watches her with dull eyes. She offers her the straw again, letting her rinse her mouth out and spit in the bin. 

“Are you going to be sick again?” she asks quietly, looking at her intently. 

She shakes her slightly, “No,” she says, sniffing, “getting a migraine,” she closes her eyes. 

“What is your name?” Alex asks her, “I’m Alex. Alex Morgan.” 

The woman cracks an eye open to look at her, “Hi, Alex,” she says, her voice scratchy and low and tinged with pain, “I’m Tobin.” She clears her throat, “Heath.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments, it's much appreciated. Keep 'em coming. 
> 
> What are you thinking? Are you getting into this?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two visitors come and see Alex. Tobin has a migraine. Alex finds out more about Tobin.

Friday, September 8th, 

1st Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

Tobin winces and clutches her head with her hand, “Uuuuhhhh,” she groans painfully. 

Alarmed, Alex puts her hand on Tobin’s casted left forearm, “Tobin,” she says, liking how it rolls off her tongue, “what can I do to help?” 

“Don’t know,” she pants, “ah, I don’t have my medicine.” She groans again, shifting and curling up on her right side, her left arm, clumsily hitting herself again with her cast. 

Alex stands, “What do you normally take?” she asks, opening the closet door and pulling the bin of medications. 

“Fentanyl, twelve,” she groans, “micrograms.” 

Holy shit, Alex thinks to herself, that’s some powerful stuff. They must be horrible migraines for her to have to use that. She pushes through the bottles, finding an unopened bottle of morphine. She reaches for her phone, finding the website she uses for medication conversions. 

She sees Tobin is reaching around the neck brace, trying to unstrap it. Alex steps in and releases it, sliding if off her neck. 

“Can I call someone who can bring you your meds?” Alex asks, not wanting to give her such a heavy dose of the powerful drug. 

She sees Tobin is now rocking herself on the bed, curled in the fetal position, holding her head and crying. 

“Please!” she begs, “Give me something!” She cries, “Anything!” She’s clutching her head, “Oh God!” she cries. 

For a second, Alex just watches, flashing back to when her sister was in such pain, pleading for her to overdose her and let her go. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex says, her voice trembling, “I can’t give you that much,” she can’t, she won’t do it. Not again. 

“Please!” Tobin begs, gasping as she tries to catch her breath. 

Her voice makes Alex move, “Okay, okay, okay.” She says as she finds an unopened syringe, tearing the packaging off, finding the small rubber band and another alcohol wipe. 

She stands next to the bed, “I need your arm,” she instructs, loading the morphine into the syringe. Tobin sticks out her right arm.

“Thank you,” she cries, “thank you,” 

Alex has to wipe away her own tears to make sure she’s put in the three quarters of the correct amount and then she ties off her bicep. “Stay still, please,” she instructs, waiting for Tobin to stop moving. 

She finds the site on her arm, slowly entering the needle and depressing the plunger. 

“Thank you,” Tobin sighs as she relaxes slightly, “so much.” 

“Who can I call?” Alex questions, leaning in towards her, “Tobin?” 

She’s out, her eyes shut, mumbling as she clutches her head. Great, Alex thinks, what do I do now. She brings the covers up over Tobin’s bare shoulders, shutting the overhead light off. She walks in the dark to the lamp near the recliner, clicking it on. 

Realizing she’s hungry, she goes to the kitchen and makes herself a sandwich. She checks on Tobin after she finishes eating, frowning when she sees that she’s curled in a ball, cradling her head, mumbling half asleep. Knowing there isn’t anything she can do for her, she reluctantly shuts off the light and leaves the room. 

She sits down on her couch, finding some reality show and occupying herself on her phone, looking up Tobin Heath. 

She’s amazed at the information she finds. A soccer phenom, member of Team USA, Olympic Gold Medalist as a collegiate athlete. Not playing now due to a tragic on field collision resulting in a horrific knee and ankle injury. Tried to rehab but wasn’t the same player she once was. Finished school and then disappeared. Made the Dean’s List her whole school career, graduated Magna Cum Laude. 

Her social media accounts are pretty non-existent. Mostly photos of artworks and sunsets. Disappointed, she sets her phone down, lying on the couch and pulling a blanket over herself. It doesn’t take long for her eyes to drop and she’s asleep. 

 

Saturday, September 9th, 

2nd Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

Alex awakes slowly, feeling drowsy and still tired. She throws the blanket off herself, swinging her legs over the couch and gets up. She heads to her room, using the bathroom and freshening up. She gets dressed quickly, wondering what she should feed Tobin for breakfast. If she’s even up yet. It’s early still. 

She heads to the kitchen, making a pot of coffee, deciding to make a traditional breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs and toast, looking underneath her sink and finding the tray she used to bring her sister her meals. 

As she cooks, she thinks maybe Tobin would like a shower after breakfast and then they could talk. She makes up two plates, pours the coffee into mugs, fixing hers how she prefers, a little cream and two sugars. She pours some milk into a small carafe and places the sugar bowl on the tray. She grabs utensils and napkins and makes her way down the hall. 

She hears Tobin’s voice, smiling to herself that she’s awake, hoping she’s not upset or still in pain. 

“Tobin,” she calls out as she nears the door, “I’ve made some break-” she sees the two women from the clinic standing in the room, “-fast.” 

Tobin looks up at her from the bed, she’s still snuggled in under the covers, but looking a little tense. “Good morning,” she greets, her voice subdued. 

“Who are you?” Alex demands of the two women as she sets the tray down across Tobin’s lap, “How did you get in my house?” 

“Lex,” Tobin says tiredly, “it’s okay,” 

“Okay?” she looks at her, “They broke into my home!” 

“Are you gonna drink that?” The shorter one points to one of the mugs, Alex sighs loudly and gestures at it and the woman approaches Tobin’s bed, sitting on the far side, fixing the black coffee to her liking. 

“Lex, this is Hope and Kelley,” Tobin quietly explains, “they’re uh, my, uh, friends.” 

Alex nods, noticing the slight pause in Tobin’s introduction. She’s standing stiff with her hands balled into fists. Alex considers for a moment sprinting to her bedroom and retrieving the gun from her nightstand. Her Dad made her take lessons for protection and the outside chance of any wild animals coming onto the property. Tobin seems pretty calm, so she decides to stay. 

The taller one, Hope, sits down in the recliner. “So,” she says, her voice surprisingly a higher pitch and feminine than Alex expected it to be, “we have a problem because of what occurred two nights ago.” 

“These sausages are delicious!” Kelley exclaims as she takes another bite, “Are they farm fresh?” 

“Kel,” Tobin says mildly from the bed, Kelley nods and continues eating. 

“We’re here on a mission and the fact that Tobin is injured puts us all in danger.” Hope states calmly. “You need to hide her here until our mission is completed and she’s recovered enough to leave.” 

“I don’t think so,” Alex says, crossing her arms, “I don’t think I need to be ordered around by the two of you,” she says, her voice rising, “especially after breaking into my house!” 

“Well,” Hope stands up, looking tall and threatening, “you’re the one who ran her over!” She takes a step closer to Alex, glowering at her. “You hit her, you take care of her.” She shouts at Alex.

“Fuck off!” Alex spouts back, “I don’t know who you are, why should I listen to you?” 

Hope moves forward and stands in front of her, “We’re the witnesses to you hitting our friend with your truck. How do think the Police will like this story when I go tell them, huh?” she threatens, “Dr. Morgan hits innocent girl, treats her at home, drugs her and restrains her to bed.” 

“Doesn’t sound all that good,” Kelley chimes in, speaking through a mouthful of food. 

Alex pales, yep, I’ll definitely go to jail. I’ll lose my license, I’ll never be a vet again. 

“Guys, please,” Tobin pleads, her eyes darting between Hope and Alex in their standoff. 

Alex opens her mouth to say something but stops when Tobin leans painfully forward, “Lex?” she calls out softly, getting her attention, “Lex, would it be cool if I hang out here until I’m okay enough to get around and go? I’ll explain everything to you, whatever you want to know.” 

Alex looks at her, thinking this is to good to be true. She actually wants to stay here, she wonders. Why, she questions. 

“Dude!” Kelley exclaims, poking Tobin’s arm with the fork, “You can’t tell her.” 

Tobin looks calmly her and then Hope. “I can and I will.” She says quietly, “She deserves to know. She’s in danger now because they saw her and you’ve come here.” 

“How do we know we can trust her?” Hope asks prudently. 

“Because when she accidentally hit me,” Tobin replies, “I was a wolf. When I woke up, I was like this,” she gestures to herself. “I’m not in a hospital, or a jail or some research facility or worse.” 

“She had you tied to the bed,” Hope states dryly, arching a challenging eyebrow at Alex. 

“I trust her.” Tobin says simply, looking up at Alex, giving her a head nod. Alex can see her eyes are brighter, the honey colored irises warm and calming. 

“We don’t know her.” Hope states. 

Tobin nods, “I agree.” She says slowly, “but I know we can trust her. But,” she raises her right index finger, “Lex, would it be cool if I tell you what you need to know first, then I can do some research and make sure it would be safe to tell you everything else?” 

Alex sighs, relaxing a little, she’s recognizing Tobin’s efforts to mediate this situation and appease both sides. She sighs. “Okay.” She just wants them gone. The tall one makes her uneasy. 

“Okay,” Tobin says, nodding and giving her a small smile. Her eyes look tired to Alex and she thinks she might be in some pain.

“We should go,” Kelley says, taking one last forkful of eggs, “come on.” 

“You guys didn’t break anything getting in here, did you?” Alex asks, wondering if she needed to make any repairs. 

“No,” Hope says, pausing a moment. “I’m sorry,” she says, “uh, the stakes are kind of high, and we didn’t want to be seen a whole lot. You have a great security system.” 

“Yeah, it was tricky.” Kelley adds, finishing the coffee. 

Hope turns to Tobin, “We’ll have someone drop off your stuff. Be sure to tell her about the next two days, kid.” 

“Thank you,” Tobin replies, “I will.” 

Hope gives Alex a nod as she leaves the room, Kelley pats her shoulder, “Thanks for breakfast, it was awesome!” 

“Sure,” Alex replies, rolling her eyes at her. She follows them to the front door and locks it behind them. 

She returns to the room and sees Tobin with her head back on the pillow, pressing her right palm on her forehead and wincing. 

“Are you alright?” she asks. 

Tobin drops her arm and looks at her, “Yeah,” she nods, “just a little headache. I don’t have my glasses.” 

“You want some Tylenol or something a little stronger?” she asks, sitting down on the side of the bed. “I have some Norco, it won’t knock you out. How are your ribs? Your wrist?” 

“I’m pretty sore,” Tobin admits, looking down. 

“They say the second day is the worst,” Alex says quietly. “Do you like coffee?” 

“Sure,” Tobin replies, “I have it now and then,” 

Alex points at the untouched mug, “That has some cream and two sugars in it, want it?” 

“Sure,” Tobin nods. 

“Good,” Alex smiles, “I’m going to reheat this and make some more, do you like eggs and sausage?”

Tobin gives her a little squinty eyed grin, “Who doesn’t?” 

Alex nods, “I’ll be back in few minutes, okay? I’ll bring you a Norco, we’ll have some breakfast and then figure things out.” 

“Lex?” Tobin touches her forearm as Alex bends to grab the tray, her fingers lingering, “Thank you for being so calm and understanding about this.” She says earnestly, sincerely. “I never wanted to have you get involved.” 

“You’re welcome,” Alex replies, “seems like we didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.” 

Tobin frowns, “Yeah, well,” she retracts her hand from Alex’s forearm and scratches at the back of her neck, “we’ll talk about that, okay?” 

“Sure thing,” Alex nods, removing the tray and leaving the room. She smiles to herself as she walks to the kitchen, even though they keep expressing this element of danger, she’s fine with this. This is the most excitement she’s had in a long while. Plus, she’s attracted to Tobin, there’s just something about her that draws her to her. She knows she’s being foolish but she doesn’t want Tobin to leave. She sets the tray down and goes to the fridge to pull out some more eggs and sausage. 

As she cooks, thinks about what the danger could be. Are they really werewolves? What were those black things they were chasing? How many wolves are the pack, she wonders. How did Tobin become one?

She decides to let Tobin dictate the flow of information for now. She’s injured and probably feels really crappy still. Plus, she knows that part of the agreement was that Tobin would research her, whatever that meant, before giving her any additional, more sensitive information. 

 

When Alex returns to the bedroom with the second breakfast, she sees Tobin has her eyes closed, coffee mug in hand on her stomach, dangerously tilted. She’s pulled the comforter over her chest. 

“Tobin,” she says gently, not wanting to startle her. 

“Hey,” Tobin grins sleepily at her, lifting her mug as Alex sets the tray down, “thank you so much.” 

“No problem,” Alex smiles, “I like to cook.” 

“So do I,” Tobin replies as she takes a bite, “what’s your favorite dish to make?” 

“Well,” Alex says as she takes a sip of her coffee, “I didn’t say I’m very good,” she explains, “I guess breakfast is the best I can put together.” 

Tobin nods as she chews, “Yeah, I was like that for a while,” she says, “but then I took a cooking class. It was fun, but it’s hard when you only cook for yourself most of the time.” 

“Yeah, it’s a drag,” Alex agrees wryly. 

Tobin looks at her, “Single?” 

 

Alex nods, “You?” Tobin nods. “Yeah,” she sighs. 

They eat in silence for a few minutes. 

“Uh, Alex?” Tobin asks, a flush creeping up on her cheeks, “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah,” Alex shrugs, “sure.” 

Pink is now tinging Tobin’s cheeks, making Alex think she looks so adorable. “Um, would it be possible if I could ask a huge favor?” 

Alex finds herself leaning in, wondering what Tobin could ask her that’s so important, “Absolutely,” she softly replies. 

Tobin doesn’t look at her, nerves apparent, she readjusts the sheet, tucking it under her left arm and then her right, “Could I borrow something to wear until they drop off my stuff?” she asks quietly, Alex now seeing the tips of her ears are red. 

Alex leans back, “Holy crap!” she exclaims, “I’m so sorry,” she spits out, “of course you can, there just wasn’t time, and you were unconscious, and I couldn’t get anything on you, I’m not some sort of creep” 

Tobin grabs at her ribs as she laughs, it’s a musical laugh, something Alex wants to hear again and again.

“Stop!” Tobin now giggles, “Your face!” 

“You stop!” Alex laughs, feeling the heat flush to her face, “I don’t want you to think I am some crazy person holding you hostage and kill you or something,” she defends herself.

Tobin lays her head back on the pillow, grinning at her, she brings her mug to her mouth, “Well,” she says, taking a sip, “you did tie me up naked to a bed,” she wiggles her eyebrows at her, “I can think of a whole lot of worse ways to go.” 

Alex feels her mouth go dry at the thought. “Keep dreaming, Heath,” she manages to sputter, taking a drink to do anything at this moment. Is it possible that Tobin is flirting with her, she wonders. 

She sees Tobin eye her, looking her up and down, glancing at her lips, then looking her in the eyes, “I will,” she says simply. 

They look at each other for a moment, a slow smile spreading across both of their faces, the attraction undeniable, “Good,” she says and gives her a nod. 

“Good?” Tobin asks, her forehead furrowed. 

“Yeah,” Alex smiles at her, “good.” Tobin smiles back and they both turn their attention to their plates. 

After watching Tobin struggle to cut the sausage and chase the eggs around on her plate, she questions her, “Having trouble?” 

“I’m left handed,” Tobin explains sheepishly, “and, uh, this isn’t as easy as it looks.” She shifts again with the sheet, and Alex stands, she opens the closet door and finds one of her sister’s flannel shirts. 

Alex does her best to focus on the shirt as she’s dressing her and not letting her eyes roam. When she finishes, they both are red faced again. 

Alex cuts Tobin’s sausage and makes a pile of her eggs so she can get at it easier. They eat in silence. 

“Oh, I was thinking,” Alex says, remembering her plan from earlier, “how about a shower after this?” 

The moment the words come out of her mouth, Alex knows she’s phrased it so badly. She sees Tobin begin to grin again, then it spreads to a smile and then the laughter begins. 

“Presumptuous, a little, Dr. Morgan?” Tobin laughs, holding her ribs. 

“Oh my God,” Alex mutters, slapping her own forehead with her hand. 

“Is this how they do things here out in the sticks?” Tobin asks, her voice dripping with humor, “I mean, the diaper thing is a little out there, but I’m down for anything, so…” 

Alex has now shifted her plate from her lap to the table and is resting her elbows on her knees, her head buried in her hands. “Please, stop,” she says, her voice muffled from behind her hands. 

Tobin’s laughter dies out quickly and Alex feels her cool fingers wrap around one of her wrists, giving it a tug to lower it. 

“I’m just teasing you, Lex,” she says softly, looking at Alex, her voice and eyes sincere, “just having some fun.” 

“Okay,” Alex nods, “it’s alright,” 

“It did feel so good to laugh like that,” Tobin muses, as if she’s speaking to herself, “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time,” she turns her attention back to her plate. 

“Me either,” Alex murmurs in agreement. 

There’s no joking around when Alex assists Tobin with her shower, she gets a plastic bag to tape around Tobin’s wrist to protect the cast, Tobin showers quickly, Alex washing her hair, seeing how Tobin’s muscular shoulders drop and relax at her touch. She blow dries it for her, then wraps her ribs. 

She dresses her in the flannel shirt and some sweatpants, seeing that she looks worn out. 

“Why don’t you take a nap?” Alex suggests, “I’ll get you up about three, we can talk and have dinner and then do whatever.” 

Tobin is biting her lower lip, unaware of how attractive Alex finds it, “Uh, Lex,” she speaks quietly, “I won’t be doing much tonight,” she looks up to see Alex looking at her curiously, “I’m going to have another migraine tonight,” she explains, quirking her mouth to the side, “and one more tomorrow night.” 

“Oh,” Alex says, “that’s awful,” she whispers. It’s one thing to say offhand how bad it is for someone who has a migraine. After witnessing someone in the throws of one, well, Alex now has a new respect for just how terrible they are to suffer through. 

“I hope they drop off my stuff soon,” Tobin murmurs, then looks at Alex, “I’m sorry I’m such a drag.” 

“Nonsense.” Alex says firmly, “You’re hurt and in pain, I’m sure, and we all have our own stuff to deal with,” she shrugs, “I’m sorry that yours causes you to suffer.” 

“Thanks,” Tobin says so quiet, Alex had to strain to hear it. “Maybe I should take that nap.” 

“Okay,” Alex says, wanting to reach out to her, touch her arm or her shoulder, offer her some kind of support. She watches as Tobin slowly walks to Katie’s old bedroom. 

You don’t know her, that little reasonable part of her mind says loudly, don’t get involved with her. She could be a criminal. You just let them order you to have her stay here, you didn’t fight, what kind of an idiot are you? She could be a killer. And what about the whole being a wolf thing? Do you really think she likes you? She could be just using you while she stays here and recovers. Don’t be stupid.

Alex sighs, this isn’t some fantasy thing, this is the real world. Ask her questions, find out about her, don’t do anything to put yourself in danger with her or her friends, she reasons with herself. Tread carefully. 

She washes the breakfast dishes, then grabs her laptop and starts checking the invoices she needs to pay for the clinic. She really needs to add some staff, mostly someone for the office, doing this accounting work. It would be nice to take Allie or someone else with her on her calls to the stable, sometimes she needs an extra set of hands. 

Soon, she smiles to herself. She’ll be ready soon to make the improvements, buy the new equipment she wants and go solo. She’s currently part of a collective of vets in the area but she’s been growing a steady preferred customer list that doesn’t allow her much time in the office. Her and Allie work mostly half days three days a week and full day on Friday in the clinic. The rest of her time is on calls to the stables in the area. She doesn’t mind working with the dogs and cats and other pets people have, but she’s really preferring to focus more on horses. 

She should really start writing out her business plan and making sure she’s as close as she thinks she is to do this. 

She googles business plans, bookmarking a few good websites and then starts looking up other veterinarian websites, seeing how they lay out their design, what hours they keep. She jots the info on a legal pad next to her. 

She looks up when she sees a flash in her driveway, it makes her rise and walk to the window. A short woman with short brown hair is approaching her door carrying two large duffel bags and a backpack. 

She opens the door. 

“Alex?” The woman asks. Alex nods. 

“My name is Kling,” she introduces herself, “this is Tobin’s stuff. Please tell her that Christine did her laundry and packed it. There’s a sling for her arm in that duffel bag,” she points to the black one. 

Alex opens the screen door and takes the backpack, setting it inside next to the door. Kling heaves the heavy duffel at her, Alex grasping it and letting it fall next to the backpack. Then the other one. 

“You look like a good person,” Kling says, eying her, “please take good care of Tobs, she’s been through a lot and has had a really tough year.”

“I will,” Alex replies slowly, slightly shocked that this woman would say this to her. 

“She didn’t deserve what they did to her,” Kling says, scrunching her face up and looking to her right, away from Alex, “she’s been really struggling with it.” 

“What, what do you mean?” Alex questions, wondering what she’s talking about. 

Kling looks at her, studying her, judging her. “You guys probably haven’t really talked yet, right? With her being sick with her headaches.” 

“Not yet,” Alex replies slowly.

Kling nods, “She’ll tell you. She’s the most honest person I know,” she says simply, as if she was just stating a fact, “you have a good aura, you’ll be good for her.” With that, she simply turns and walks away, back to her car, leaving Alex stunned and unable to speak. 

She watches the car leaves and then slowly closes the door, locking it. She stares at the bags. She walks to the bedroom, peeking her head in and seeing Tobin on her side, sleeping somewhat peacefully. 

She walks back out to the living room. 

Find out about her so you know you’re safe, that little voice says firmly. Do it. 

It’s such an invasion of privacy, Alex reasons, but I have no clue who she is, why she’s here and plus, she’s a werewolf. 

Get the upper hand and check her stuff out, that little voice commands. Do it. 

She does it. Alex grabs the orange backpack, setting it on the coffee table, sitting on the couch, taking a deep breath before opening the first small front pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind words and kudos. 
> 
> It's safe to say I'll be continuing this story, in fact, it's nearly complete as I type. I'll apologize ahead of time for any short chapters or cliffhangers. I only break the chapters where it seems to be best. 
> 
> Also, since I update every couple of days, a little cliffhanger here and there won't hurt too much. 
> 
> Hope you're enjoying it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex goes through Tobin's possessions which only raises more questions as to who she is. Her and Tobin have a chance to talk and some of the pieces start falling into place.

Saturday, September 9th

2nd Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

Okay, Alex thinks to herself, let’s do this. 

Alex pulls out a multi-tool, a vinyl case with some weird looking metal sticks in it and a small flashlight. She shrugs, okay, whatever. 

She zips it back up and opens the second pouch that’s a bit larger. She pulls out a large zip lock baggie, filled with three small wallets, a watch, three iPhones, three chargers, another bag with what looks like a small photo album, a metal case and a box of contact lenses. 

Alex opens the baggie and flips open the first wallet. Her mouth drops upon seeing a photo of Tobin on the license and not her name. Jessica Brian. The next one, Amanda Babich and the third Jodie Stallings. All different states. She places them back in the bag and seals it shut. 

She opens the black wallet and finds Tobin’s correct name to match her photo and also a badge. She looks at it, Private Investigator for the state of North Carolina. Huh. 

The metal case contains a pair of glasses, the contact box does contain contacts and Alex feels a shimmer of guilt as she opens the small book. It is a photo album, the first photo showing a happy family, smiling on a soccer pitch, an unmistakable smiling Tobin looking about ten years old. Her parents, and two other girls who must be her sisters because the resemblance is so strong. Another of Tobin as a child on a horse, looking so small on the animal. 

Alex looks over the photos, smiling at one of Tobin with her arms raised, an Olympic medal around her neck. Group photos of what must be teammates, silly ones of her with her sisters, one that makes Alex trace her fingers on of the silhouette of Tobin, standing on a beach against a background of a sunrise. It’s a beautiful photo, but it makes Alex feel sad for some reason. Tobin’s body language is off, her shoulders dropped, hands in pockets, head bent slightly down. She wonders what was going on when this was snapped. Maybe she was just thinking or something. 

She replaces book, case and box in the bag and stuffs it in the pouch, zipping it closed. 

The last compartment is the largest, Alex pulling out a dark hoodie, a laptop underneath it, then feeling around and finding a bunch of beanies, then something heavy. It’s a vinyl zippered case and Alex knows immediately what’s in it. She opens it anyway and looks at the gun. It looks similar to the one she owns. She zips the case up and sets it aside. 

She pulls another baggie out, this one filled with prescription bottles and small boxes. Curious, she opens it and looks at them. Norco, Valium, boxes of Fentanyl patches, a large, opened package of gummy bears containing THC. The bottles are all in her name. Multiple doctors, multiple dates. 

Next is a Bible, it’s worn and looks like she’s had it for years, then she pulls out some manila folders, she scans them, they all have handwritten legal pages in them in a strange font. It’s mostly squiggly lines. She thinks maybe it’s shorthand but she can’t recognize a single word. 

There’s a notebook in there as well, the writing also in that same strange unidentifiable font. There’s doodles in the margins, all very realistic. The last item is a leather bound notebook and when she flips it open, she realizes it must be Tobin’s journal. She closes it, she feels like she’s invading her privacy enough without reading it. 

She packs up everything and zips it shut and then just looks at the backpack. 

She has some answers, but now, oh so many more questions. She just needs to figure out how to play this to her advantage to know how truthful Tobin will be with her.

 

Alex is zoned out on the couch, thinking and slightly dozing off when she hears the slap of Tobin’s bare feet on the wood floor as she approaches the living room. She stays in place, comfy and interested in what Tobin will do. She hears her run the water in the kitchen, then sees her at the couch holding a cup. 

“Hey,” Tobin says softly, setting her cup down the coaster on the side table and slowly easing herself on the couch. Alex is sprawled over two cushions, so she sits in the far end. 

“Hi,” Alex replies, watching as she sits down. Tobin still looks sleepy, in fact she yawns as she leans back on the couch. 

“You have a really nice place,” Tobin says as she squints to scan the living room, “it’s really homey.” 

“Thanks,” Alex replies, her voice raspy and quiet from being a little sleepy herself. She watches as Tobin’s eyes flick on her duffel bags near the door and her backpack across from her on the coffee table. 

“Someone named Kling stopped by and dropped off your stuff,” Alex says, shifting her hips and grabbing the small pillow behind her back, “here,” she tosses it on Tobin’s lap, “rest your arm on it.”

“Oh, thanks,” Tobin nods, arranging the pillow under her cast. 

“She said that Christine did your laundry and packed your bags.” Alex informs her, watching as Tobin’s eyes flicker hearing that and she slouches a little, shifting herself and spreading one of her legs so her shin is touching Alex’s foot. Alex keeps her foot in place, liking the contact. 

“Cool,” Tobin nods, then she looks at Alex, “did you go through it?” she asks calmly, nodding her head towards the backpack, as if she thought Alex would. 

Tobin doesn’t wait for her to reply, “My name is Tobin Heath, I’m twenty-eight, I’m a private investigator and I’m a werewolf.” 

Alex shifts again, lying on her back, stretching her feet out so they’re closer to Tobin and looks at her, “If I hadn’t hit you as a wolf and found you as a human in that cage,” she says slowly, giving her a small smile, “I’d think you were completely off your rocker.” 

Tobin gives her a small wistful smile in return, “Yeah, well, this is not how I always introduce myself to new people,” she let’s out a soft chuckle, “you’re an exception.” 

Tobin sighs and rests her head on the back of the couch, looking at Alex, “I began to work for Hope and Kelley a little over a year ago. We’ve been tracking some dangerous people who are attacking college students in certain medical fields. My job is to do research in finding the possible targets and suspects and leading the group to them. Someone else on the team creates some algorithm programs from the info I give them to analyze the behavior patterns and possibly seek out targets before the attacks start. That’s why we’re here.” 

“So, you’re an Olympic Gold medalist and a giant computer nerd?” Alex asks, a small smile playing on her lips. 

Tobin blushes, realizing that Alex researched her, “Yeah,” she shrugs her shoulders, “I can’t deny that.” 

“What’s so dangerous about all of this?” Alex asks. 

Tobin quirks her mouth, obviously thinking of how to explain herself, “Would you mind telling me how we came to meet?” She asks, “Like, if you told me what you saw, what you did, it might be easier to explain things. I could answer any questions if something weird went down.” 

Alex nods and sits up, shifting to sit cross legged on the couch, facing Tobin. Tobin moves as well, angling her body to rest against the arm of the couch, one leg bent on the cushions, the other on the floor, her torso facing Alex. A cushion separates them. 

Alex leans over and opens Tobin’s backpack, handing her the metal case. “Thanks,” Tobin smiles, shaking her head, “I missed these.” Alex is not prepared to see Tobin in glasses. 

She’s hot. 

Alex is just looking at her, a weird little smile on her face. 

“So, that night?” Tobin prompts. 

“Oh, right!” Alex replies quickly, shaking her head at being such a dork and getting caught blatantly checking her out. 

“I was leaving a stable after delivering a foal, it was sometime after two,” Alex begins, sharing her story. 

Tobin is quiet when she finishes. 

“What were those black things?” Alex asks. 

“I never would have believed it until I saw it with my own two eyes,” Tobin says slowly, “there really is an underworld and it’s filled with magic and with monsters and demons and unimaginable creatures.” She takes a sip of her water. “What you saw, those black things,” 

“Yeah, they looked like Dementors from Harry Potter,” Alex supplies, “they actually floated.” 

Tobin nods, “I call them that too,” she says, “they have this Latin name and have been around for hundreds, if not, thousands of years. This battle is old, like, really old, and those creatures do what they did in the Harry Potter world. They suck the life out of you.” She lets out a dark chuckle as she shakes her head, “If J.K. Rowling knew how on the money she was about them, she’d crap herself.” 

“Anyway,” she continues, “we were chasing them, they are responsible for these attacks. That’s when, you know, you, uh, hit me.” 

“Who was the one wolf that was growling at me?” Alex questions. 

“Probably Hope, she’s the alpha of our pack, then Kelley. They lead us.” Tobin answers, frowning a little. 

“How did you become, ya know?” Alex asks quietly. 

“I got bit.” Tobin answers bitterly, not looking at her and saying it in a tone that makes Alex decide not to pursue any further questions about it. Not right now. 

“So, what’s the real danger right now?” Alex asks, leaning forward a little. 

“Those Death Eaters,” Tobin says, “they’re real people, like you and me. They’re actually witches from around here, that means they live in this community. And the ones who were out in the woods that night, if they saw you and recognized you, well, that’s not good. Especially if they watched you take me away.” 

Alex nods, now understanding it a little. “I don’t think they hung around,” she offers, “I scanned the area with a flashlight and didn’t see anything, except the wolves.” 

“There’s nothing more they want right now than to capture one of us wolves, so they can either hold us hostage and negotiate something or do testing on us. Or worse.” She shudders a little. 

“How do I explain that you’re here?” Alex asks. 

“Well,” Tobin scratches the back of her neck, “right now, you shouldn’t say anything. I don’t exist. I’m in hiding. But I know that’s unrealistic and can’t stay like that, things will slip or something will happen. If you give me a list of your friends I would research them, make sure it’s safe.” 

“I highly doubt any of my friends are Death Eaters.” Alex snorts. 

“See, that’s the thing, though,” Tobin says calmly and sighs heavily, “they’re normal people for the most part, they have jobs and families and go about their normal days. They meet with their covens, usually under the guise of a social club or something. They have the power to change into them during the moon phase. We don’t. We change automatically.” 

“The wolves are kind of low on the totem pole of the underworld. We’re mostly viewed as muscle.” Tobin explains, “Even though we are the ones finding the covens and protecting the students as best we can.” 

“Well, that sucks,” Alex states, “seems like you do the most dangerous kind of stuff to be labeled like that.” 

Tobin shrugs, “It is what it is,” she says, “I try not to dwell on it.” 

They pause as they think about the situation. 

“Why the different identities?” Alex asks, deciding to take a risk. 

Tobin nods calmly, as if she was expecting to be asked that question, “This is very dangerous,” she states, “these creatures have been to known to go after the families of other, uh, creatures.” 

“That doesn’t really answer my question, Tobin.” Alex replies, doing her best to keep her voice as calm as Tobin’s has been. 

Tobin nods and raises her index finger, “I’m thinking,” she says, dropping her eyes, and nodding to herself. “Okay,” she says, looking at her again, “when I graduated college, I was recruited to join the Police Force. It sounded cool, so I did it. My soccer career was done, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, so I went for it.”  
“I had a degree in computer science, so I worked fraud cases, gradually making my way up to working larger, more…complicated cases.” She picks at the pillow on her lap with her right hand, “I did that for almost four years, learning more and more about how evil and corrupt the world is and started to become a bit disillusioned. You see, the cases I was working, there was never any justice. It was just all this big legal mess, with lawyers dragging things out for years and years and then the charges would just go away with a fine or something stupid. These big companies or these super rich people would just get away with it.” 

“Anyway,” she throws a hand in the air, “working for the Police Department showed me how to acquire certain skills and have it be perfectly legal. I use those other legal identities to protect myself and my family. I don’t steal anything, any money I use, I earned. Granted, it all goes through multiple companies so things aren’t easily traced back to me.” She pauses and frowns. “I’m only guilty of being an accessory. An unwilling one.” 

“You have a lot of medications, do you get migraines a lot?” Alex asks, sliding one foot off the couch cushion to mimic Tobin’s pose. 

“Nah,” Tobin shakes her head, “I just get those three a month. The first three days of the waning gibbous moon.” 

“Uh, do you… change every full moon?” Alex inquires, curious as to how it works. 

“All three nights of it.” Tobin confirms with a sigh. She slowly turns and puts both feet on the floor, scooting up so she can reach her backpack. She digs around, her face showing a hint of a surprise when she feels something, that disappears quickly as she pulls out the bag with the medications. “I’m going to put a patch on,” she stats, “it takes a bit to start kicking in,” 

“Do you have a taste for something for dinner?” Alex asks, now standing up. 

Tobin shakes her head, “I usually don’t eat,” she explains, “less to vomit up.” 

“Oh,” Alex comments, frowning. 

“Sorry,” Tobin says, giving her a wry grin, “that was kind of crude.” 

“No, it’s alright,” Alex reassures her, “I wasn’t thinking.” 

Tobin just looks at her for a moment. “If the gun makes you nervous, you can hide it somewhere.” She offers. “I’ve never shot it at someone, but it’s a comfort to have it sometimes.” 

Alex nods, thinking of this morning and how she considered getting her own to face Hope and Kelley. She finds herself trusting Tobin, there’s this bone deep feeling of trust with her. She’s seems honest. Her gut is telling her to trust her. “You keep it, for now,” she says, walking to the kitchen, “we’ll see how things play out, okay?” 

Tobin follows her, “I’ve got nothing to hide from you,” she says quietly, “can I help you with dinner?” 

Alex grins at her, “I’m not sure what you’ll be able to help with, but sure.” 

Tobin grins back, “Let’s see what you have.” She says and opens the fridge. 

 

Tobin ends up teaching Alex how to make a vodka sauce to go with her chicken and pasta and Alex is impressed and proud of herself. She was so pleased with how patient Tobin was, adding funny commentary while they cooked, as if they were on a cooking show. They laughed quite a bit, Tobin taste testing her creation and claiming it was the best one ever due to Alex’s measuring and stirring skills. 

Alex found Tobin to be interesting, entertaining and good company while she ate. They spoke of their college experiences, Tobin shared some of her soccer stories, speaking fondly of the Olympics. As the sky began to darken, Alex saw Tobin’s eyes grow tired behind her glasses. 

“Is it starting?” Alex asks quietly, “Your migraine?” 

Tobin nods and frowns, “Yeah, but I don’t want to stop talking to you.” Tobin pauses. “This has been really nice, Lex,” she says, her fingers playing with her unused napkin, “I’m sorry you’ve been put in this situation.” 

Alex can see the regret in Tobin’s eyes, the guilt and some remorse. “We’ll just take it day by day, okay?” she gives her a small smile. 

“Thank you,” Tobin replies warmly, now showing her gratitude. She yawns and looks out the window and sighs, “I should head to bed,” she says quietly. “If you want to leave the dishes, I’ll do them in the morning,” she offers. Alex sees how Tobin’s eyes have glazed over a bit. 

“We’ll see how lazy I am tonight,” Alex says as she stands, Tobin rising as well, “if they’re in the sink, have at ‘em.” 

“Okay,” Tobin nods, “maybe tomorrow we can talk about some other stuff, like me paying for food or rent or something, okay?” 

Alex nods her head. “Come on, I can bring your stuff to the room,” she offers. 

 

“There,” Alex says, bringing the covers over Tobin, “comfy?” 

Tobin nods through half lidded eyes, the Fentanyl really kicking in, “Uh huh,” she says sleepily, turning her head into the pillow. Alex had found Tobin’s toiletry bag and her sling in the duffel and helped her do her nightly routine. 

She watches as Tobin takes a breath, wriggling her nose in displeasure, “Lex?” she asks drowsily, “Who died in here?” 

“Huh?” Alex asks, shocked. 

“I can smell death,” Tobin mumbles, her eyes now closed. 

“My sister,” Alex whispers. She stands there for a moment, lost in thought. 

“Mine did too,” Tobin whispers, her voice slurry and then is asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your continued support! Y'all are super duper!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Tobin's story is revealed. She explains her research to Alex and then Alex gets pissed at Tobin. 
> 
> Full disclosure: I suck at summaries. 
> 
>  
> 
> .

Sunday, September 10th,   
3rd Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

The smell of something wonderful wakes Alex from sleep. She stretches in her bed, working out the kinks, smiling to herself, enjoying the feeling of just relaxing. She lies in bed, slowly waking up to realize something is off. Her room is dark, not much light coming in her windows. She listens and hears the steady fall of rain beating down. 

What smells so good, she wonders, suddenly remembering Tobin being in the house and reluctantly leaving her bed, stopping to put on her slippers and her comfy, oversized grey cardigan sweater. She pads down the hallway, hearing the muted tones of music. She turns the corner and sees Tobin, in ratty sweatpants and a different flannel shirt, softly singing as she awkwardly tries to stir something in a shallow pot. 

“Morning,” Alex says with a yawn, “what’s all this?” She sees one of her pie dishes covered with foil. 

Tobin turns and smiles at her, “Morning,” she says, turning her attention to the pot again, “I was up and couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d make breakfast.” 

“Well, this is nice,” Alex says, stepping closer to her, looking at the stovetop, “whatcha making?” 

“Coffee’s ready,” Tobin replies, nodding her head in the direction of the counter. 

“Nice,” Alex says, moving to get a mug but then seeing one is next to the pot. 

“I was looking around and I saw a bag of grits!” Tobin says excitedly, “Do you like grits? I haven’t had them in so long,” she says. 

“I like grits, but I hardly ever make them, I can’t figure it out, they get super dry and lumpy on me” Alex replies, getting her creamer from the fridge. 

“The trick is to constantly stir them,” Tobin nods and grins confidently. She eyes sleepy Alex, enjoying how domestic this feels. Tobin knows it’s only temporary, but it feels nice to not be alone. 

It’s not that she’s alone all the time, she hangs out mostly with Christine and Kling, they’re super cool, but it’s nice to not be in the presence of anyone in the wolf pack. She misses her friends and her family. She’s a pretty social person and ever since she’s become part of the wolf pack, it’s been hard for her. Hope and Kelley intimidate and there are others she’ll chat with as they group gathers together before their transformations, but she mostly keeps to herself. 

When Tobin got bit and learned of her fate and what her future would be, she dropped out of her circle of friends pretty quickly. She kept her family at arm’s length, talking and FaceTiming, explaining that she was on a long term contract that required much travel and rarely gave her time for visits. She was terrified of anyone she knew being put in danger or become involved with her new life. 

Her relationship with her girlfriend had been a little rocky at the time, the woman constantly complaining of Tobin’s long hours and weird schedule while she was on investigations. She was the type who liked routine, even down to what they would have for dinner each day of the week. While Tobin and her had had some good times together, Tobin knew she wasn’t the one for her and neither of them were happy. Their break up was mutual and went pretty well for how those things go. 

Hope had given her thirty days to wrap up her affairs, stating that she would be leaving the Chapel Hill area at that time. Tobin packed up her apartment, putting her belongings in storage. 

She knew her family was incredibly concerned about her, every time they spoke, Tobin could see the worry on their faces. She hardly ever told them what city she was in, fearing they would try to find her. That was one of the reasons she used her other identities, having a feeling that maybe her own family was trying to find her. She knew they thought she was having a complete mental breakdown, even though she had explained she was working on a case. Sometimes she wondered if she was herself. 

The depression she experienced those first couple of months didn’t allow her to get out bed without Hope coming in and making Kelley forcefully get her to her computer. The pull and power the alpha women exerted over Tobin often left her bewildered.

Christine and Kling stepped in, trying to help her adjust to her new life and responsibilities. They were patient and understanding, explaining the moon cycles and how everything worked within the pack. Tobin tried her best to keep up, but the loss of her sister just left her feel so empty and the resentment she felt towards Hope and Kelley growing. 

When it became clear to the pack that Tobin’s transformation was agony, they tried some different remedies to help her through it. Sometimes, they would drug her so she was unconscious, letting her transform and then slowly join the group for the night. It wasn’t convenient to do that very often, so Tobin suffered through her transformations. 

They tried everything they could for the migraines that left her out of her mind with pain, again, resorting to drugs. Christine, being a paramedic, sought out alternative treatments for her and Tobin herself went to neurologists until Hope ordered her not to for fear her MRI would reveal abnormalities from being a werewolf and draw further questions. 

Using one of her alternate identities, Tobin snuck out for treatment, finally acquiring the medications that helped and were safe. The doctors she saw were rather stumped with the   
intensity of the migraines Tobin would describe. She was still in incredible pain, but it didn’t make her want to kill herself every night she had a migraine. 

The last five months have been more consistent, Tobin gaining some respect from the pack due to her concise and accurate work. One of the other women in the pack, Lisa, began working with her, developing an algorithm to predict future attack targets. Tobin and Lisa worked for weeks inputting past event locations, victims’ histories, profiles of their academic classes and majors, their suspects’ histories and more. After the success with their work, Hope loosened her leash she had on Tobin, allowing her more down time. 

Throughout this time, Tobin kept her faith in God, knowing He had a plan but so unsure of what it could be. She tried her best to be a good servant, not being disrespectful to anyone in the pack, knowing her place, keeping her head down and doing her work. The only time she put her foot down, was when Hope had assigned her to convert a suspect. 

Converting a suspect meant biting them and thereby making them a future werewolf. Tobin wouldn’t do it. She wouldn’t wish this life on anyone. She absolutely refused to do it. She suffered a serious beating at the hands of Kelley, who was reluctant to do it, but was ordered by Hope to teach her a lesson for disobeying orders. Hope had assembled the pack to watch Tobin be corrected for her disrespect. 

As she nursed her bruises, Tobin thought that would be the end of it, but she was wrong. She had underestimated just how upset Hope was for her display of disrespect. When the full moon approached, Tobin was hustled into the basement of the house they were renting, ordered to remove her clothing, being shoved down on her knees and forced to crawl into a metal cage. Hope locked her in it, explaining that her punishment wasn’t nearly over yet and she should use her time to think about her priorities to the pack. 

Tobin spent six days in a cage she couldn’t even fully sit up in, crouched uncomfortably, enduring her transformations and then suffering through her migraines without any medications. Christine, who was considered the medic of the pack, was the only one allowed to see her. She faithfully brought her food and water, crying and apologizing when she couldn’t help Tobin in any way. 

Christine had told Tobin that Hope had taken away all of her medical supplies, guarding them and threatening her if she gave Tobin anything. Tobin reassured her she wasn’t upset with her, she had brought this upon herself and had to suffer the consequences. 

It was during those lonely six days that Tobin thought and prayed. When she finally was released and helped back to her room, she knew she couldn’t go on like this. She had to make a plan to kill herself and be done with this horrible curse. 

She kept to herself for the next week, preparing her will and filing it with a lawyer near her sister Perry’s home. She wrote letters to her family, gently explaining that she was beyond help anyone on Earth could give her and how much she loved them and missed them. She sent those by messenger to her lawyer who placed them in her safety deposit box with instructions to distribute them upon the event of her death. All of her financial and personal affairs were in order, now she would formulate her plan to execute it. 

Hope must have sensed Tobin’s new founded calmness and realized she was incredibly mentally fragile. That’s when she assigned Kling to be Tobin’s roommate and babysitter, keeping a watch on her at all times. 

Her gun had been taken from her, her possessions were ransacked, all of her medications were to be now distributed by Christine for fear of an overdose. Tobin was on lockdown. Hope reminded Tobin that her family would be in danger if she acted out again. She was ordered to do her job and be a useful member of the pack. Tobin slowly realized that she had become too valuable to the pack and they would prevent her from taking her own life. 

For Christine to pack her medications and her gun, Tobin knew Christine had some strong suspicions about her intentions. She was silently giving Tobin her permission to do what she wanted to do. 

 

Alex nudges her shoulder, “What’s in here?” lifting the edge of the tin foil to peek under the pie dish. 

“I made a breakfast skillet,” Tobin replies, taking a breath and releasing it, dismissing her thoughts and giving Alex a smile, “I hope you like it.” 

“I’m sure I will,” Alex smiles, “can I do anything?” 

“Uh, plates and stuff?” Tobin asks, as she continues to stir. “Maybe we can make our plates here and then sit and eat?” 

“Sounds good,” Alex replies as she sets two dishes on the counter. “Ugh, it’s so dreary out,” she says, yawning. 

“Uh huh,” Tobin agrees, now scooping grits onto each plate. Alex helps her serve the skillet and takes both plates to the table. 

“What are you drinking?” she inquires looking into Tobin’s mug. 

“Tea,” Tobin replies. 

“I had tea here?” Alex asks, surprised. 

“Nah,” Tobin grins, picking up her fork, “I had a couple of tea bags in my bag.” 

“Oh,” Alex says as she lifts her fork, “I’ll have to get you some next time I go the store.”

Tobin gives her a small smile, “That would be nice, thank you.” 

Alex smiles back and they both hold their gaze at each other for a moment. A crack of thunder makes both of them jump in their seats, breaking the spell. 

“Geez!” Tobin exclaims, looking out the window. 

“That was loud!” Alex states, getting up to open the blinds so they could see better. She sits back down, beginning to eat. “Oh,” she moans with a half full mouth, “this is so good.” 

She looks up to see Tobin smiling at her. 

“I was really hoping you would like it,” she says shyly, then looking down at her plate as she forks her food. 

“I do,” Alex says, “I like it a lot,” realizing her tone and inflection is saying more than just about the food. 

Tobin looks up at her, “I like it a lot, too,” she grins, “what are your plans for the day?” 

“I don’t know,” Alex shrugs, “I feel like it’s a do nothing day, I just don’t have any energy.” 

Tobin nods, covering her mouth as she yawns, “Yeah, I know what you mean.” 

“What time did you get up?” Alex asks, seeing how tired Tobin looks. 

“I think it was around four?” Tobin shrugs, “The worst of it was over, so I did some work for awhile and then came out here.” 

“Are you tired? How are you feeling?” Alex inquires. 

“Yeah, I was thinking of maybe napping in a little bit, I never feel super rested when I have a migraine.” Tobin replies. 

“When I checked on you last night, you were talking in your sleep,” Alex comments, “did you even sleep?” 

“Not really,” Tobin says quietly, “I’m kind of at the max of what I can take safely, you know?” She quirks her mouth in a way Alex finds endearing, “My neurologist back home wanted to maybe try Botox but that terrifies me.” 

Alex cringes, “Yeah, I’d be scared about that, too.” 

They finish eating, a comfortable quiet coming between them, Tobin’s music still playing softly. The rain is coming down hard, lightning streaking across the sky. 

When Tobin is done with her breakfast, she arches her back slightly, pulling her shoulders back and wincing a little. 

“What’s wrong?” Alex asks as she stands and picks up Tobin’s plate and her own. 

“My back is a little stiff, that’s all,” Tobin explains. 

“How’s your wrist and ribs?”

“Alright,” Tobin replies, slowly getting up. 

“Really?” Alex asks, cocking a raised eyebrow at her. 

“Kinda achy,” Tobin sighs. 

“Why don’t you take a Norco and sack out on the couch?” Alex suggest, “I’ll get you set up. You can watch TV or whatever.” 

“Eh,” Tobin hesitates, not looking too sure. 

“It’s a real comfy couch,” Alex smiles at her, “I promise.” She sets the plates in the sink, then grabs the pot the grits were cooked in. She fills it with water to let it soak. She wraps the pie plate back in foil, setting it in the fridge. “I’ll meet you there, I’ll get some pillows.” She leaves the room. 

Tobin stands looking out the window for a moment, thinking. She’s hesitant to go and sprawl on Alex’s couch, making herself at home there. She doesn’t want to take over Alex’s house, she doesn’t want to interrupt whatever Alex has going on, but her back is super tight, most likely from that hospital bed. 

She remembers asking about who died in the bed, feeling a pang of sadness with Alex’s reply. She was starting to feel really out of it and sleepy, but she’s pretty sure she told her about her own sister being dead. She’s sad for Alex, thinking it must have been a long term illness for her sister to be housebound. 

She took a chance this morning, making breakfast for Alex. She wanted to show Alex her gratitude for agreeing to let her stay and she doesn’t want to make Alex feel like she has to put her own life on hold while she’s here. 

Tobin’s glad her ribs are just bruised. It had happened to her a couple of times during her soccer career and it sucked. The worst part was not being able to play. Now, she doesn’t have that helpless feeling as much, watching from the sidelines. She knows they’ll ache for a couple of weeks, then she’ll be able to at least breathe deeper and then slowly get back to normal. She knows the pain killers will help, but she’s reluctant to use them seeing as how there is this element of danger hanging over their heads.   
She’s not one to normally just down a pill when she isn’t feeling well, but she does know if she fights against it, it will just take longer to heal. Maybe she’ll check and see how much ice Alex has and ice them down for a little bit. 

She researched Alex this morning, it was the first thing she did when she got up. She’s relieved that everything seems to check out, nothing is there to make her suspicious at all. No red flags, nothing that would make her think anything was amiss. She’s grateful for that, because if something had been triggered, this wouldn’t be pleasant. For either of them. 

Alex. 

When Tobin first awoke, she was in pain and thought she was in a hospital. There was this beautiful woman sitting in the room with her and Tobin had no idea who she was or what she doing there, but she didn’t want to her leave. 

She was scared when she couldn’t move, bound to the bed, but Alex looked just as panicked as she was and quickly freed her, apologizing to her. That voice, that raspy, scratchy voice. Tobin could listen to it all day. Alex had the bluest eyes that Tobin had ever seen, filled with concern as she looked at her, instantly making her feel safe. 

She was only up for a few minutes before her migraine barreled through, making her nauseous and then the pain hit. Just from how Alex looked at her and then how she helped her, Tobin just knew it in her bones she could trust her. 

So, she did. Tobin’s instincts had always been pretty good so she always trusted her gut. 

Tobin looks in the kitchen cabinets, finding the large zip locks in the same drawer as the foil was. She checks the freezer, happy to see the bin is full, the icemaker dropping a couple of fresh cubes as she reaches in. She prepares an ice pack, zipping it shut as Alex enters, carrying a few pillows and a blanket. 

“Oh, shoot,” Alex mutters, seeing Tobin at the counter. 

“What?” Tobin asks, slightly alarmed. 

“I just,” Alex sighs, then frowns, “you should have been icing that yesterday and I didn’t even think to give you ice at all.” 

“Ah,” Tobin scoffs, “Don’t worry about it,” she gives her a little grin, “I just thought of it, like, a minute ago.” 

They walk together to the living room, Tobin noticing that Alex had changed into leggings and a sweatshirt. Alex flicks a pillow on the left side of the couch by the arm. “Were you going to lay down or sit up?” 

“I’ll sit up for a bit,” Tobin says, “I’d like to talk,” she clears her throat, “if I’m not going to keep you from doing something,” she adds quickly. 

“No,” Alex smiles at her, “this was my game plan.” 

Tobin sits and arranges the pillow against her side, using the couch and it to keep it in place, shivering when she leans into it. Alex drops the other pillows on the couch, moving the coffee table out of the way and pushing an ottoman from the corner in front of Tobin’s legs. 

“Oh, thanks,” Tobin says, putting her feet up and slouching down a bit. She puts another pillow behind her head and one last one on her lap so her casted arm could rest on it. 

Alex goes back to the kitchen and brings Tobin a glass of water. “Here,” she presents her with a pill. “It’s a Norco.” She drops it into Tobin’s outreached palm. Tobin takes the pill and drinks some water. She covers herself with one of the blankets. 

She watches, growing a little nervous as Alex places the other two pillows on the far side of the couch, moving a smaller ottoman over for herself. Then she sits down, snuggling back. 

“So,” Tobin says, “uh, I, uh, I…” she struggles to start. “I don’t know how to say this,” she says, closing her eyes and shaking her head. 

Alex waits patiently, not sure if she should say something. Tobin opens her eyes and looks at her. She sighs and tries again. “I researched you.” She says, clearing her throat again and fiddling with the blanket. She looks down at her lap, “I know you went to USC, got a bachelor’s in science, your GPA was a 3.94 and then went into the vet program. Your first job was at a clinic near Diamond Bar, where you grew up, you lived at home for a while and then, after six months, switched jobs to Southern Cal where you worked at a stable.” 

“You stayed there for another six months until you came here,” she continues, “and joined your sister’s practice as a partner. You joined the Tri-County Veterinarian’s Group and began the working the stables in the area and maintain office hours a few days a week. Your sister Jeri became ill and you cared for her until her death last year.” 

She looks up at Alex, seeing her looking back intently at her. She doesn’t look mad or anything, so Tobin continues. “I know you’ve never been arrested or interviewed or were part of any type of lawsuit. I know your parents are still together and live in the same house you grew up in and your student loans are paid off. Bonus points for you,” she gives her a small smile. 

Alex smiles back, “So,” she says gently, “does that mean I’m not a threat to you or your, uh, pack?” Her voice is quietly confident, not angry or even fazed by Tobin’s report. 

“Um, no,” Tobin replies, feeling her face flush from the confusing thoughts filling her head. 

“Seems like everything except for the student loans part could just be a quick Google search,” Alex shrugs, looking a little disappointed. 

“Uh,” Tobin looks up, “well, there is _a lot_ more to it than that.” 

“Like what?” Alex asks, her eyes curious. 

“Well,” Tobin says slowly, “your income tax returns only have the usual deductions with the newer claims coming last year when you legally took over ownership of this business and the property. Your credit purchases passed an algorithm test of over seven hundred keywords for any red flag purchases. An airline audit showed no travel to red flag locations for the past seven years. The GPS on your current and two previous vehicles showed no red flag patterns for meeting places nor did they red flag with any of the other known suspects nationwide or in this area’s suspects.” 

Tobin leans her head back, “You recently submitted a journal article about your progress with stem cell use on horse’s knees for joint deterioration and the success rate you’ve captured. It’s garnered a lot of attention and you’ve in demand to speak at many upcoming conferences. Your browser history doesn’t red flag, there are no other routers than your office one and that didn’t red flag, there are no questionable purchases through your business, nor does your client or associations list raise any flags except one.” 

“And who is that?” Alex asks, raising her eyebrows. 

Tobin sighs, looking at Alex, her eyes filled with regret. “Allie Long.” 

“What?” Alex questions loudly. “She’s my best friend! She doesn’t have anything to do with this!” 

Tobin is quiet, looking down at her casted wrist. “I’m sorry.” She says quietly. Tobin knew Allie was someone important to Alex, her name was listed right below her parents and her sister on the list she gave her. 

“You’re sorry?” Alex says, the anger in her rising, “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you think my best friend, the only person who I can count on right now, is a suspect in whatever you’re doing here.” She gets off the couch, “I’m going out for some fresh air,” she announces, “maybe you can _research_ Allie some more and see how wrong you are.” She’s grabbing her purse and sliding into shoes.

“Lex,” Tobin tries, looking at her, her eyes big, she didn’t want to upset Alex about this, she just wanted to be truthful. She was so hoping that Alex would trust her, would come to know she wanted to protect her as much as she could. She’s frozen in place, her usual reaction to conflict. 

“No,” Alex says angrily, retrieving her backpack, “I’ll be back later.” As Alex shuts the door, she winces at how loud the slam is. 

Tobin sits morosely on the couch, picking distractedly at her cast, feeling awful. She didn’t want to upset Alex, she really didn’t. She just didn’t know how to tell her about Allie. 

She didn’t think she’d be so defensive, so…mad. 

She can feel the Norco beginning to kick in, making her drowsy. She lifts the pillow and blanket off her lap, wincing as she leans forward to get out of the couch. She grabs the bag of cold water, taking it to the sink and dumping in the drain. She opens the bag wider and sets it upside down on a dish towel to reuse later. 

She checks the lunch she has going in the crockpot, stirring the vegetables and replacing the lid. She walks back to the couch, folding the blankets and putting the pillows in a pile. She goes back to her room, opening the closet door and staring at the bin of medications for a long time. Just do it, the dark side of her mind urges, end it all. You won’t be in pain anymore. You won’t have to worry about your family. Her eyes drift to her backpack, knowing her gun is in there. 

Come on, that voice says, don’t be such a pussy, do it.

I have the perfect opportunity to do what I’ve wanted to do for months and now I can’t, she thinks. Meeting Alex has fucked me all up. 

She shakes her head and lies down slowly on the uncomfortable mattress, yet not wanting to be out in the living room, exposed whenever Alex returns. A soft sob escapes her lips as her breath hitches and the tears come. 

She’s just fucked this up so badly. She cries herself to sleep, lying on her side, wishing she would just never wake up. 

 

When Tobin stirs a few hours later, she curses when she sees the time. She gets out of bed with a groan, her back stiff again, making her walk weirdly scrunched over and slowly out to the kitchen. She glances around, there’s no sign of Alex. 

She takes a few tentative steps down the hall, peering in through the open door to Alex’s room. Nothing. 

She goes back to the kitchen, shutting off the crockpot, not having any appetite now. It’s almost four and she can feel her migraine coming on early. It happens sometimes when the sky is gloomy and the moon begins to show itself earlier than expected. Christine had a theory it was connected to the barometric pressure. She goes back in her room, removing a Fentanyl patch from the box and placing it on the back of her neck. Her ponytail is messy and threatening to fall out, but she doesn’t care. 

Maybe I should just pack up and leave, she thinks, just get out of here and out of Alex’s life. She didn’t ask for this, if I just go, she should be safe. Although, Tobin reasons, the stem cell work she’s done could be making her a target for the coven. She could be on their watch list and if Allie is somehow involved, that would put Alex in grave danger. 

She stands up, grabbing two pillows and a blanket from the couch, bringing them in to the guest room and placing them neatly on it. She puts the other pillows and blankets on Alex’s bed. 

She stands at the kitchen counter, just staring out at the wet landscape. She moves to the window, no sign of Alex’s car, no lights on in her clinic. She actually left, choosing to go instead of just cool down in her office or something. 

Her alarm on her phone chimes, signaling that it’s five o’clock and Tobin realizes she’s been standing there for that long of time. She shakes her head to clear her dazedness, sighing and moving to the now cool crockpot. She opens the fridge door, moving a few items to make room for the ceramic container. She places the crock on the bottom shelf, shutting the door and then turning to the counter and unplugs the unit. 

She goes through the top drawers until she finds that one, the one with all of the pens and notepads and other miscellaneous items in it. 

She takes out a pad of paper and a pen, writing a note to Alex. She’s just going to bed, let the migraine take over, giving her something to feel, even if it’s pain, she just feels so empty right now. She doesn’t understand why she’s so upset over fucking this up. She’s only known Alex a couple of days, why does it matter what she thinks of her so much. 

Because you like her, you idiot, that inner voice says sarcastically. You want her to like you. She matters because you two have clicked whether you know it or not. 

Tobin leans her stomach against the counter, feeling the building pressure in her head and feeling a little woozy from the Fentanyl. I should just go to bed, she reasons, we’ll deal with it tomorrow, maybe I won’t have to take any meds tomorrow. I’ll be sharper, more focused, I’ll be able to make Alex understand. 

She turns and takes a step, the first dagger of pain unexpectedly roaring in her head, her hands automatically reaching for the sides of her head. Her cast knocks against her bruise, making grunt. She takes a step towards the hallway, then another, just slow and steady, she repeats to herself, slow and steady. Another sharp jab sends her leaning up against the hallway wall. 

She gasps at the pain, it feels like someone is pounding a spike through her skull. Even though her eyes are clamped shut, all she can see is a burning, blazing whiteness. She leans away from the wall, get in the bed, she urges herself. The third wave of white heat sends her to her knees, crying out as she painfully curls up, holding her head in her hands. She’s dizzy with pain, the tears streaming down her face, her breathing ragged, her ribs aching. 

She tries to crawl on her knees to the room, it’s looking so far from her now, the next blow comes, sending her forward, realizing her casted wrist is out in front of her, she’s able to bend her elbow, letting her forearm take the contact of the wood floor, but she falls heavily on her left side, her cast under her, her side flaring with pain. 

She ends up bouncing her head against the wood floor, seeing white little stars swirling around for a moment, curling into the fetal position, unable to move anymore. She feels like maybe her head is bleeding, but she isn’t sure and she can’t lift it. It just feels so heavy. Slowly her right hand makes contact with her temple, pressing her head further into the floor, trying to relieve the pressure and pain. Her back quakes, pulling on her ribs with her cries as she lies there. 

Why does this feel so much worse, she wonders, it’s gotta be the weather. The Fentanyl isn’t doing much to relieve the pain at all. 

She’s never felt more alone than she does right now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex blows off some steam and meets her friend Abby. Abby pushes her to figure out why she's so upset. Alex returns to home to find Tobin. 
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Sunday, September 10th   
3rd Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

Alex had no idea where she was headed in this crappy weather. She turned left out of her lot, heading down the two lane road at a faster pace than she should be driving. She slows her speed to something closer to safe for the conditions, the windshield wipers flapping at full speed, the only sound besides the rain and the engine. 

The nerve of Tobin to accuse Allie of being, being, whatever. A suspect. How could she think that, she wonders. What did she see that ‘raised a red flag’. Allie is one of the coolest, sweetest people she knows. She’s been a rock to her while she was dealing with her sister’s illness and then becoming her main caregiver. She cooked meals, arranged my schedule and did so much other things, the little details, the ones that only she knew were important to me. 

How can Tobin be so sure. God, I’m furious that she’d be like that. She’s turned my life upside down and I’ve allowed it to some extent. I could have said no. I could have gotten my gun and ousted her and those two others. Why didn’t I do that. 

Well, for one, Hope did threaten to go to the Police for hitting Tobin. 

“Ugh!” she yells in frustration, beating her steering wheel. “What the fuck!” 

She lets out a breath, angry and hurt and feeling all sorts of emotions she doesn’t understand. She turns on her radio, flicking over to the XM channels and finding a heavy metal music one. She lets the angry guitars and drums take over, loudly blocking out all the other sounds as she drives. 

She settles down gradually, the anger leaving her slowly and she eventually switches over to a classic 90’s station she likes and sings along to some songs. She realizes she needs to stop and pee soon, so she heads back towards town. 

It’s almost an hour later when she gets back to civilization, the closest place with a bathroom just happening to be the dingiest bar around with the very best cheeseburgers Alex has ever had. She glances at the clock on the console, shocked to see it was nearly one in the afternoon. She didn’t know she was out driving for that long. 

She parks her car in the half filled lot, shutting it off, grabbing her purse and sprinting for the door to avoid getting soaked from the rain. She shakes herself off as her eyes adjust to the darkened room, making her way to the hallway for the bathroom. After relieving herself, she washes her hands and then goes out to the bar. She decides to sit at the bar, giving a small smile to Glenn, the owner, who is working the area. 

“Hey, Alex,” he greets, placing a coaster down in front of her on the well worn wood bar top, “what can I get ya?” 

“I’ll take a Bud Lite,” she says, setting her purse on the hook under the bar rail next to her. 

“Bottle or tap?” 

“Tap is fine,” Alex nods, looking over at the back bar where the bottles are neatly lined up. She watches as the older man pours her beer and places it in front of her. 

“Want a burger?” he asks with a grin. Alex isn’t quite on the list of a regular, but she’s heading there. The vet group she belongs to likes to come here for burgers and have their meetings, her friends from the city love the atmosphere and cheap drinks. 

“Maybe,” she shrugs, not sure if she’s hungry or not. 

“Give me a holler if you do,” he nods and turns to walk to the opposite end of the bar where a couple is sitting. 

Alex nods and continues to look at the bar, she spies the crockpot Glenn keeps back there, filled with nacho cheese. She smiles, thinking how good it is, he insists he makes his very own variety of it, adding a few secret ingredients. 

The crockpot, she thinks. Shit, there was a crockpot on my counter this morning, by the coffee maker. Did Tobin make something, she wonders. 

Alex takes a sip of her beer, thinking about what Allie could have possibly done that would alarm Tobin enough to consider her suspicious. Allie isn’t a fucking witch, she angrily thinks. She frowns, realizing that she didn’t stay to ask Tobin. She just left. Slamming the door. Leaving her alone. 

Oh, God, she thinks to herself, feeling miserable, taking another drink, I didn’t even give her a chance to explain. She’s also probably still feeling super shitty from her ribs and wrist and having those migraines. She looks at her watch, seeing it’s a little after two now. 

“You look like you’ve just lost a litter of puppies to Parvo,” a familiar female voice to her side says. 

Alex turns, “Abby!” she exclaims, leaning over to give her a hug, “I didn’t even realize you sat down here.” 

“Yeah,” Abby says, releasing her and looking at her carefully, “you looked pretty deep in thought.” 

Alex drops her eyes to the bar, “Yeah,” she says quietly. 

Abby signals for a beer from Glenn, swiveling her padded bar stool to face Alex. “What’s up?” she asks, looking concerned. 

Abby is one of the vets she works with, the two forming a close friendship. She’s a few years older than Alex and was very good friends with her sister Jeri as well. She took Alex under her wing, filling her in on the horse market in the area, which breeders she should avoid getting too close to, due to their willingness to be reckless with their horses and those she should strive to work for. The horse industry was a small one locally, but the connections made with different owners was important. It was a fine balance to stay neutral to owners when you didn’t like how they treated their animals. 

It was Abby who encouraged Alex to pursue her testing and research on the stem cell use and helped proof her paper and double check her findings. They’ve been friends since she came out here and even got closer after Jeri passed away. 

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Alex confesses, thinking of how Tobin admitted the same thing before speaking this morning. 

Abby nods and takes a sip of her beer, “Take your time,” she says patiently. 

Alex takes another drink of her beer, “So, I have this,” she pauses, “friend.” She begins, “She’s, uh, here working on a project she can’t really discuss.” 

“Okay,” Abby encourages, nodding at her. 

“Well, there’s some level of security issues tied to her assignment,” Alex states, thinking that was a good way to explain it, “and she informed me this morning that someone close to me was considered suspicious.” 

“Oh,” Abby straightens up, raising her eyebrows, “did she tell you why?” 

Alex shakes her head. 

“She couldn’t because of security reasons?” Abby pursues. 

Alex shakes her head. 

She hears Abby sigh, “You got pissed and left in a huff?” 

Oh, Lord, Alex thinks, Abby really _does_ know me well. She nods slowly, not looking up from her near finished beer. 

“So, now, you’re wondering what to do when you go talk to her again?” Abby questions. 

“Well, yeah,” Alex shrugs, “I just left her there.” 

“Where?” 

“At my house.” Alex says quietly. She shakes her head. “I left her stranded at my house.” 

“Is she staying with you?” Abby asks quietly. 

Alex nods, feeling so embarrassed by her actions. 

“Huh,” is all Abby says. 

Alex can’t even look at her right now. 

“Yo, Glenn!” Abby calls out, “Another round!” 

“Gotcha Abs!” Glenn says, walking closer to the beer taps. 

Alex finishes her beer, then takes a glance at Abby. Her face is unreadable right now.   
As Glenn replaces the empty glasses with fresh beers on their coasters, Abby slides her arm onto the bar, leaning to the side and resting her head on her raised hand. 

“There’s more to this,” Abby states, taking a sip of her drink. 

Alex sighs, “I don’t know,” she says, fingering her glass, “I just,” she shakes her head, “she made me so mad.” She looks at Abby, “I mean, who just comes out and says they believe someone close to you could be dangerous? Huh?” 

Abby shrugs, a small smile playing at her lips, “Someone who cares about you?” 

“Bullshit!” Alex sputters, taking a long pull from her glass. 

“Oh, Alex,” Abby laughs, then grows silent, “how much do you know about this friend of yours? The one at your house? Has she given you any reason to not trust her? Does she play mind games with you? Has she lied to you?” 

She thinks about Tobin, how she asked her if she had gone through her backpack, answering and explaining all of Alex’s questions. Everything seemed legit to her, she never caught any hint of any form of untruthfulness from her. 

She thinks about the regret and pain in Tobin’s eyes, how genuinely sorry she was that Alex had gotten dragged into whatever mess they were in. She seemed so sincere. She seems sincere. Fuck, she is sincere, Alex thinks. The woman carries around a Bible, for whatever that’s worth. 

“I don’t know,” Alex sighs, “I don’t know everything about her, but what I do know, is good. She’s a good person, Abs. I don’t think she’d lied to me. She didn’t have to say anything to me about it, though, she could have just researched her suspects or whatever and I’d never know.” 

Abby nods thoughtfully, looking down at her beer. Then she looks up at Alex. 

“There’s still more to this story, Alex,” she says quietly. 

“Ugh,” Alex rubs her forehead, frustrated. Abby was a good person, but she never let Alex off the hook on anything. She grabs her glass, leans back in her seat and drinks.   
She thinks about how thoughtful Tobin’s been to her, how she also lost a sister. The pain of grief she sees in her eyes, the knowing of that type of loss they both share. They haven’t spoken of how either of their sisters passed, but Alex gets the sense that Tobin’s sister’s death may have been traumatic. The grief she carries is just a little bit different. 

She thinks about how much she enjoys her company, even while she’s recovering from her injuries, even through her migraines. How Tobin doesn’t want to be an imposition. She thinks about how much more she wants to know about her. 

She thinks about Tobin’s smile, her laugh, her body, oh God, her body. 

Oh my God, Alex thinks, I like her. Like, I really like her. 

She hears Abby issue a soft laugh, “From the look on your face, it seems like you caught yourself up.” 

Alex gives her a small smile and a head shake, “Abby, this is so fucked up.” 

Abby laughs again, “Most love stories are.” 

Alex glares at her, “I said nothing about love.” 

Abby winks knowingly at her, “You didn’t need to.” 

Do I love her, Alex wonders, maybe not yet, but I know I could. Just the little I know of her, I think she’s pretty special. But she’s also a werewolf. 

“Did you eat lunch?” Abby asks, gesturing to Glenn. 

“No,” 

“Burgers?” Glenn asks, looking at the two. They nod their heads. “The usual?” Nods again. He turns and ducks into the kitchen. 

Abby raises her glass, “Here’s to new beginnings, Alex,” she says, “you’ll figure it out.” 

They clink glasses and take a drink. 

“Now,” Abby leans in again, “tell me about Sunshine’s delivery.” 

 

When Alex thinks to look at the time on her phone, she raises her eyebrows. It’s almost six-thirty. A look of panic must spread across her face, because Abby stops speaking to look at her. 

“What time is it?” Abby asks cautiously. 

“Almost six-thirty.” Alex replies, shoving her phone in her purse and taking out her wallet. “Shit, I’ve got to go.” 

Abby grins at her, “Go. This one is on me, you get it next time.” She stands up, arms outstretched, waiting to a hug. Alex hugs her tightly, “Thank you so much,” she says to her, “you don’t know how much I needed this.” 

After talking shop about horses and catching up with their life events, they moved on to Abby telling travel stories that had Alex practically crying from laughter. 

Alex runs to her car, she’s fine to drive, drinking water after the two beers she had hours ago. It’s a short drive home in the still pelting rain, the thunder getting louder, the lightning strikes seeming closer. This is some kind of storm, Alex thinks, I better turn on the Weather Channel to see if we’re under any watches. 

She’s disappointed to see no lights on in her house. Then again, if Tobin is having her migraine, she’s probably in bed already. She wishes they would be able to talk tonight. She wants to clear the air and apologize for her behavior. 

She knows now why she’s so upset with Tobin. She fears what Tobin would think of her if, in fact, something is suspicious with Allie. She doesn’t want Tobin to have a reason to leave. She wants her there, she wants to know her better, because she really likes her. She likes her a lot. 

Alex maybe didn’t let on, but she was impressed with the research Tobin had done. It was specific and there many details in there that Tobin surprised her with. It sounded professional, thorough and very organized. She feels that Tobin is pretty humble and maybe she wasn’t boasting about how complete her profile work was. 

She wonders how Hope and Kelley found Tobin and recruit her to join them. She said she got bit, but she certainly doesn’t seem to click with them. She did introduce them as her friends, but there was something behind that, something else. Like, maybe she was afraid of them. 

Tobin had said to her that she had nothing to hide, so maybe that was why she had told her about her suspicions of Allie. She was just being truthful. 

She enters the side door quietly, flicking on the overhead spotlight on the island, looking to the counter as she sets her purse on the kitchen table. She locks the door behind herself, walking forward to see the empty crockpot unit. 

She opens the fridge and sighs when she sees the crockpot there on the lowest shelf. She shuts the fridge, grabs a glass and turns to the island to get herself a cup of water. She sees a piece of paper there, lifting it but unable to read it in the dim light. 

She opens the fridge and leans in to read it. 

_Lex,_

_I’m so sorry about this morning. I really didn’t want to upset you. I just wanted to be truthful. I’d never lie to you. I’d never do anything intentionally to hurt your feelings. If you knew me better, you’d know that is not the kind of person I am._

_I’m sorry about Allie. I know she’s important to you, that’s why I wanted you to know. Just on the off chance that something seriously is going on with her. I want to keep you safe. I know I haven’t given you all of the details, but the stakes are high in what we’re up against. I hope I’m wrong and Allie checks out fine. Please let me know if you want to know one way or the other._

_Thank you so much for your kindness, the night of the accident and every day since. You’ve been incredibly sweet and thoughtful and I’m so very grateful to receive that from you. It’s been really nice to have someone look out for me, it’s been a long time._

_I can’t tell you how much I regret what has happened, on so many levels. You are a fantastic person and I hope you find happiness. I’m sorry about your sister. I know the deep grief you are feeling, but I pray each day it gets a little better and you’ll begin to feel lighter._

_I’ll talk to Hope in the morning and get out of here. I never wanted you to get pulled into this chaos I’m living in. I’m sorry I persuaded you to let me stay._

_-Tobin_

_P.S. I made a crockpot of some beef stew, it seemed like a perfect dish for this crappy weather. I hope you like it._

 

Alex sets the letter down on the counter, tears streaming down her face, a sob coming from her mouth. She brings her hands to her face, holding herself as she cries. I’m such an asshole, she thinks, as she sniffles. A loud thunderclap overhead makes her jolt, looking around. 

I should check the weather, she thinks, moving from the island and standing near the couch. She grabs the remote, clicking the TV on, finding the channel. They’re not covering her area right now, so she decides she should check on Tobin and make sure she’s even there. 

She leaves the living room, flicking on the hallway light and nearly stumbling over Tobin’s still body. 

“Tobin!” She exclaims, stepping over her and kneeling next to her. “Tobin, can you hear me?” She bends down closer to her, her eyes scanning over her body. Tobin’s on her stomach, her left arm awkwardly underneath her, her right hand on her head, her forearm blocking her view of her face. Her long legs are splayed out, one straight, one is bent. 

She seems to be breathing, she can see her back moving, but she sees a small amount of blood on the hardwood floor, near her head. 

She slowly moves her right arm, seeing Tobin’s eyes are shut, a grimace on her face. She’s in obvious pain, and now that she’s closer, she can hear the soft, low moan Tobin emits with each exhale. 

“Tobin,” she rubs her upper arm, “come on, wake up.” 

Tobin lets out a moan, louder this time. Alex can see Tobin’s eyes moving under her lids. Her legs start moving, slowly, as if she’s trying to get up. 

“Easy,” Alex cautions, “just open our eyes, you’re safe, it’s okay.” She wipes her own eyes as new tears spring from them. 

Tobin’s eyes flutter open squinting against the light. “Bright,” she mumbles, trying to move her head but seemingly unable to. 

“Can you get on your back?” Alex asks worriedly. 

“Can’t move my head,” Tobin sputters, confusion evident, “stuck.” 

Alex realizes that Tobin’s hair must be bloody and it dried and is sticking to the floor. “Okay, stay put, I’ll be right back.” Jesus Christ, how long has she been there, she wonders as she trots to the kitchen, grabbing the hand towel and turning on the faucet for hot water. She waits impatiently for it to grow warm, running the towel under it and then squeezing out the excess water. She shuts off the tap and trots back, kneeling down at Tobin’s side. 

Tobin’s hand is back on her head, holding it, she’s wincing with her eyes clamped shut. “It’s so bright,” she mumbles, slurring her words a little. 

“Let me get you up and we’ll shut it off,” Alex promises, “I need to see your face.” Tobin slowly removes her hand, as Alex works to slide the wet towel under her head, letting it soak a little and loosen it from the floor. 

She gets her free and lifts her head a slightly, bending down to look at her head wound. It looks as if three of her stitches have popped open, the wound is oozing fresh blood now. 

She analyzes her situation and decides the best way to get Tobin of the floor is from behind. “Okay,” she says, “here’s what we’re gonna do: I’m going to hook my arms under yours and help you kneel, okay? Do you think you can kneel?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, sniffing and clumsily wiping at her mouth and cheek where a heavy dose of drool is. 

“Okay, here we go,” Alex gets in position and helps Tobin up. She’s groaning in pain and wobbly and swaying in her arms, sticking her right hand out to touch the wall for balance. 

“Okay,” Tobin says, growing more stable in her arms. 

“Now just slide your left leg out in front of you and I’ll hoist you up to stand.” Alex instructs. She’s gets her up, slinging her right arm over her shoulder and gripping Tobin’s waist tightly. She starts walking Tobin towards her bedroom, bouncing off the wall occasionally as Tobin stumbles. 

“Where are we going?” Tobin asks, looking at Alex. 

“My room,” Alex replies as she clicks the light on in her room. 

“Why?” Tobin questions, looking genuinely confused. “You hate me.” 

“Just, come on,” Alex orders, bouncing off the wall and continuing into her room. She flicks the switch on near the door, the softer overhead light coming on. 

Alex leads Tobin to the bed, carefully lowering her so she’s sitting on it. “Just stay there, okay? Don’t lay down yet. I want to fix your head.” Tobin nods, gripping the side of the bed with her right hand. As Alex walks into her bathroom, she swears she hears Tobin mutter ‘Good luck with that.’ 

Alex’s shoulders drop a little hearing that, but she focuses on pulling her bin of First Aid supplies out, grabs her short step stool to sit on and heads back in her room. She sees Tobin’s squinting as she looks around her room, nodding in approval as her eyes scan her surroundings.

She sets the stool down, placing the bin next to Tobin on the bed. She fishes out her penlight. 

“How long were you laying there?” Alex asks quietly as she sits on the stool, level with Tobin. 

“I don’t know,” Tobin replies softly. Alex nods, not wanting to push her. She raises her penlight and Tobin grabs her wrist with her right hand, holding it firmly. 

“Am I bleeding?” she questions, squinting at her. 

“Yeah, a little.” Alex replies.

“Gloves.” Tobin states, a flash of panic crosses her face. “Please don’t touch me without them.” 

Alex nods and Tobin releases her arm, “I just want to see if you have a concussion from hitting your head, okay? I won’t touch anything bloody.” She explains as she flashes the light in Tobin’s eyes, watching the pupils react. 

Satisfied she’s not concussed, she focuses her attention to the head wound. She pulls out latex gloves, opens a pack of alcohol wipes and some gauze pads. 

“Why,” Tobin starts, voice cracking and then clears her throat, “why are you doing this?” she questions, her voice rough. 

“I’m sorry.” Alex says, looking in her eyes, “Speaking to you like that, leaving like that, it was a shitty thing to do.” 

Tobin squints at her, wincing a little, “I’m the one who’s sorry,” she says, dropping her gaze to her lap, “I never should have let them make me convince you it was okay to stay here. I’m so sorry for getting you involved in all of this.” Alex can see Tobin’s chin is quivering and she’s fighting back tears. 

“Just relax, okay?” Alex suggests gently, “Take some breaths, just easy in and out.” She snaps on her gloves and gets to work cleaning the dried blood that is smeared across the side of Tobin’s head and down her cheek near her jaw. She ignores the fact that Tobin won’t look at her, instead grabbing the tube of her Liquid Stitch, dabbing a small amount across where the stitches popped, giving the skin a slight pinch so it stays in place and hopefully won’t pucker and scar. She glances down and notes that Tobin’s breathing is shallow, thinking maybe she actually broke one of her ribs in her fall. 

She snaps her gloves off, using one to gather the bloody gauze pads and alcohol wipes and wrapping them in the other glove. She sets it to the side on her nightstand. 

“Can I look at your ribs?” Alex asks quietly, watching as Tobin nods and lowers her head. She sees the shininess of her tear tracks on her cheeks. Tobin’s hand goes up to begin unbuttoning her flannel shirt, clumsily trying to do it with one hand. Alex lays her hand over Tobin’s, stilling it. 

“Let me?” she asks, moving her head so she sees Tobin’s face. 

“Okay,” Tobin whispers. 

“Is your migraine bad still?” Alex asks, not even realizing it’s not yet quite eight o’clock so it’s still roaring for Tobin. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, so softly, so quiet, “it’s pretty bad.” 

“Well, let me check your ribs and wrist and then I’ll get you settled in bed, alright?” Alex asks, hoping Tobin can last these next few minutes. She’s beginning to look like she might puke or pass out. 

“Are you going to be sick?” she inquires, seeing the perspiration break out on her forehead. 

“Nuh,” Tobin mumbles, “hot.” 

“Okay,” Alex nods, “I’ll make this quick.” She quickly unbuttons her shirt, helping her out of it, ignoring that she’s not wearing a bra. She unwraps the elastic bandage, carefully rolling it as she unwraps it. She sits next to her on her right side, tapping her back lightly, watching carefully for any reaction. Tobin winces but doesn’t even arch her back when 

Alex taps on the backside of her ribs where it’s bruised. 

She looks over her bruise, it’s about four inches in diameter with a straight upper line, probably from the bumper of her truck. Tobin sighs. 

“Want the wrap back on or no?” she questions. There really isn’t a significant medical difference in whether or not it’s wrapped for her bruise, just personal preference. 

“Nuh,” Tobin states, sniffing again, “off,”

“Okay,” Alex replies, moving back onto the stool, “can I see your wrist? Do you think you hurt again?” 

Tobin offers her left arm, “Don’t think so,” her voice sounding tired and strained from the pain. 

Alex taps on the cast without Tobin reacting. “If it’s super sore tomorrow,” she says, “more than it’s been, we’ll go and take some X-rays at the clinic.” 

“Let me get you a t-shirt and some shorts,” Alex suggests, moving away from the bed and coming back soon with the items. She helps Tobin into the shirt, then helps her out of her sweats and into the shorts. 

She draws back the comforter and pulls the sheet out, “Okay, in you go.” She orders. “Wait.” She grabs Tobin’s right wrist. “Are you wearing contacts?” 

“Oh,” Tobin nods, “yeah.” 

“Is your case in your bathroom?” 

“Uh huh,” Tobin sleepily replies, her right hand going to her head again. 

“I’ll be back, just lay down.” Alex says as she makes sure Tobin gets into the bed safely. Then she leaves the room. 

Her first stop is her sister’s room, going into the bathroom and retrieving Tobin’s contact case, her solution and her glasses. Then she goes to the kitchen, reusing the bag Tobin left on the island to make an ice pack for her ribs. She makes a smaller one for her head, noting that it seemed swollen from the fall. She wets down a wash cloth with cool water, squeezing it out so it’s not dripping. She grabs two more dish towels to use with the icepacks and marches back to the bedroom. 

She sees Tobin is lying in her right side, her casted arm dangling in front of her. Alex moves to the bed, grabbing an extra pillow and bringing it to her side. She holds Tobin’s case while she takes her contacts out, setting the case on the nightstand next to the bed.

“Here,” she places the pillow in front of Tobin’s belly, “put your arm on this.” 

“Thanks,” Tobin mumbles, moving it into position. 

“I’ve got some ice for your ribs and head, okay?” Alex asks, placing the dish towel on Tobin’s side, and gently placing the pack there. Tobin moans, arching her back for a moment from the cold and then settles back in place. Alex places the cool cloth on her forehead, “I thought this might help,” she adds as she then rests the ice bag on her temple, letting it balance there. 

“Oohh,” Tobin moans, reacting to the coldness as Alex walks to her nightstand and clicks on the light. She then goes to the door and shuts off the overhead light. She sees Tobin’s visibly relax more, now realizing she’s light sensitive during her migraines now. 

“Lex?” Tobin calls out, her voice sleepy, “Why are you doing this?” 

Alex slides into the bed, scooting over to get closer to Tobin, she starts trailing her nails up and down her back. “Because I want to,” Alex replies, her voice husky from her emotions that are rising. “I want to be here for you, with you, Tobin.” She says, still lightly scratching Tobin’s back. “Even with all that is going on,” she says, moving a little closer to her, rubbing her leg against her, “your condition, the danger, I want you here. With me.” 

“Alex,” Tobin’s voice sounds strangled, halfway between a sigh and a sob. 

“I’m sorry I reacted so badly because you said Allie was a possible suspect.” Alex continues, “I was scared, scared of what it could mean, I didn’t realize then that I was scared that you would leave, I don’t know, I like you, a lot?” she lets out a chuckle, “I feel like I’m crazy for how much I like you.” 

“I like you, too,” Tobin says, “ _sooo_ much.” She shifts a little, moving her leg so it’s touching Alex’s more. “Just so terrified that something bad is going to happen,” she says slowly, “I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” 

“I’ll take that chance.” Alex says, now sliding her leg over Tobin’s and hooking her foot around it, “I’m not going anywhere, Heath.” She slowly moves her hand under Tobin’s arm, moving it to her chest to rest her fingers on Tobin’s heart. She feels Tobin move so her left hand is over hers. 

They both sigh at the same time and it makes Alex smile, she feels Tobin give her hand a squeeze. 

 

A half an hour later, Tobin groans when Alex moves to her legs and arm, gently removing the ice bags. She gets out of the bed, bringing the bags to her bathroom and dumping the water in the sink. Smiling to herself, she opens the bags and leaves them on the counter to reuse, just like Tobin had done. 

She feels like she’s crazy, like she’s flying and like she could be making the biggest mistake of her life, but _damn_ it feels like she’s actually living again. Taking a risk on something that could have the best possible reward. 

She washes her face and brushes her teeth, changing out of her clothes and into her sleepwear. 

She pads out to the kitchen, shutting off the lights, the TV and doublechecking both doors, before heading back to her bedroom. She looks at Tobin, feeling that this woman lying in her bed has so many layers to discover. She wants to know it all. She wants to tell Tobin anything she wants to know. 

Tobin’s eyes are shut, her forehead creased with lines, lips parted slightly, soft whimpers again coming out with each exhale. Her shoulder flinches, her eyes moving under her lids, in a dream of some sort. 

Alex slides in the bed, moving slowly towards Tobin, this time rubbing her back with her hand, feeling as Tobin’s muscles slowly begin to relax. Alex moves closer, letting her head share the same pillow, her body pressed against Tobin’s and falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for the positive comments and the kudos. 
> 
> I see some questions regarding the wolf-verse and while I don't have it completely nailed down, I assure you that explanations are forthcoming. 
> 
> This fic is probably going to run into about 21-22 chapters and I'll be updating frequently.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex learns more about Tobin's story. 
> 
> And some other stuff happens.

Monday, September 11th   
4th Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

Groggily Alex rolls over and reaches for her alarm clock, tapping the top button and lying on her stomach. “Ugh,” she moans, feeling tired even though she went to bed early. 

Remembering that Tobin’s in bed with her, she lifts her head and turns to look at her. 

She’s met with sleepy brown eyes blinking at her. “Hi,” Tobin greets, giving her a tired little squinty smile. 

“Hi,” Alex smiles, scooting over towards her, “how are you feeling?” 

Tobin yawns as a reply, then shakes her head a little. Alex finds it adorable. “Okay, I think,” Tobin sniffs, wiping at her face with her hand, “just tired.” 

“Well,” Alex grins at her, “you’re lucky, you get to stay in bed for as long as you want.” She yawns, “I have to go to work.” 

Tobin looks at her, giving her a small grin, “Thank you for last night,” she says quietly, growing serious, “you have no idea how much it means to me.” 

Alex doesn’t know exactly how to respond, but Tobin begins speaking again. “Lex,” she says, looking at her intently, “I have a lot to tell you,” she says, “I need to tell you everything I can, so you have all of the information about what’s going on. I,” she pauses, “I like you a lot, I really do,” she says, shifting her eyes to glance at Alex’s lips, then back up to her eyes, “but I can’t, in good conscience, let us start anything without you fully knowing what we’re up against.” 

“That’s fair,” Alex agrees, “we also need to make up a cover story for why you’re here.” Tobin nods. 

Alex’s alarm goes off again. She reaches over, turns if off and grabs Tobin’s glasses and hands them to her. 

“Thanks,” Tobin says, throwing back the covers, “you get ready and I’ll make you breakfast.” 

“You don’t have to, you can go back to sleep,” Alex protests, sitting up. 

“I want to,” Tobin shrugs, “I’ll probably nap later.” 

“Well,” Alex runs her hand on Tobin’s arm, “nap in here, don’t go back to the other room. That bed can’t be all that comfortable.” 

Tobin smiles and nods and gets up, stretching her right arm above her head as she yawns, Alex watching as her shirt rises to reveal a small sliver of tanned torso. 

“I’ll see you out there,” Tobin says, leaving the room. 

 

“Thank you so much for this,” Alex says as she finishes eating her eggs, “I usually don’t have a big breakfast.” 

“A good breakfast starts your day off right,” Tobin grins. 

“Thanks for the PSA,” Alex laughs, “Seriously, though, thank you. And Allie will thank you when you finally meet her, because I usually get hangry around ten from not eating.” 

“Maybe I can stop in tomorrow,” Tobin suggests, “oh and I was thinking, what about I’m your cousin who is visiting before I start my new job in the city and I got in an accident with my Uber driver?” She stands and takes both plates to the sink. 

Alex nods, “Sound pretty plausible, we can flesh out the rest tonight. Maybe today you can just hide out? Like, not hang out by the windows or anything or go outside.” She gets up from the table, glancing at the clock on the wall, “I have to go. I’ll be back for lunch, so, uh, just do whatever, okay?” 

“I won’t burn down the house or anything.” Tobin smiles at her, “You want a coffee to go?” 

Alex shakes her head, grabbing her jacket, “Nah, Allie is bringing me one.” 

“Have a good day,” Tobin says, giving her a wave. 

“You too,” Alex smiles back at her and closes the door behind her gently. 

 

 

“What are you so chipper about?” Allie asks as she wipes down the exam table and sets the cleaning fluid on the counter. 

“Nothing,” Alex shrugs, “just, this morning has been going good.” 

Allie nods, another question on her lips, but Alex speaks again. “I’m going to see Sunshine today,” she announces, “I’ll probably leave right after lunch and then will be back for that two o’clock.” 

“Oh, that’s right,” Allie nods, “I’ll man the fort.” She walks out of the exam room, poking her head back in, “Have I ever told you how much I love we are only open until three on Mondays?” she laughs as her head disappears. 

Alex was glad to be making a house call and leaving the office today, she was a jumble of nerves, thinking that at any moment she’d slip up and say something to make Allie suspicious. When lunch time came, she was out the door, telling Allie she was calling her Mom to check in while she ate. 

She slips in the side door, setting her purse on the kitchen table. She sees what must be Tobin’s laptop on the table, a photo of a beautiful curling ocean wave as the background, her notebooks and files piled neatly next to it. Three pens, black, blue and red are lined up in a row on the left side of the computer. 

Alex steps towards the island, finding a napkin, a fork and a note. 

 

_Lex-_

_Sorry to miss lunch, I tried to stay up, but I’m super tired. I’m kinda like that after a migraine. There’s a bowl of stew for you in the fridge- figured it’d be something quick and easy to heat up. I saw that you have some frozen chicken and pork in the freezer, if you wouldn’t mind, just pick which one you’d like for dinner and leave it out to defrost. I’d be glad to make dinner tonight. Let me know what time you think you’ll be home or want to eat, okay?_

_Thanks-_

_T_

 

Alex smiles to herself, feeling a warmth in her chest and a pang of disappointment in not seeing Tobin. She turns and opens the fridge, finding the bowl wrapped with foil over the top. She takes it out, removes the foil and sets it in the microwave, pressing the reheat button. 

She opens the freezer, selecting the small package of two chicken breasts, placing it on the counter, she gets out a dishtowel and places it under the package, so it won’t sweat on the surface. 

She eats her lunch, impressed with how good it tastes, finding it attractive that Tobin can cook so well. She really needs to do some grocery shopping, so she makes a list as she eats, scribbling down the items she needs. Maybe she’ll run out tonight or tomorrow after seeing if Tobin would like to add anything from the store. 

Before she leaves, Alex goes back to the island and adds a note of her own to the one Tobin left. 

 

_Tobin-_

_The stew was delicious! Thank you so much for making it- you are a wonderful cook!_

_I hope you got some rest, I missed having lunch with you._

_I went with the chicken, I can cook if you’re still tired though. I’ll be home about three, unless my last appointment goes long. We can eat whenever- I don’t really have a set time._

_Lex_

 

Alex realizes she’s got an absurd smile on her face and she absolutely doesn’t care. She sets the note down, next to the chicken, walks to the table, grabs her purse and leaves. 

 

“What is with you?” Allie demands, shrewdly assessing Alex as she whistles while she’s putting away an order of new bandages. 

“What?” Alex questions as she stocks the cabinet. 

“You’re like, too happy for a Monday,” Allie shakes her head, taking the empty box from Alex and setting it on the floor, “what has gotten in to you?” 

“I don’t know,” Alex replies, smiling and shrugging, “I guess I’m just excited for Sunshine and her baby and that we’ll be done for the day soon?” 

“Whatever,” Allie laughs, lifting her head when she hears the bell on the door chime, “this should be Mrs. Williams with Chairman Meow.” 

Alex laughs, “That name just cracks me up,” she says as she washes her hands in the sink, “I’ll be there in a minute.” 

 

“Tobin?” Alex calls out as she enters the house, dropping her purse on the kitchen table. She sees boxes of food and some bags on the island counter. 

“In here!” Alex hears the muffled reply, unknowingly leaning forward as she walks through the kitchen to the hallway. 

“Where are you?” she asks, it’s not a large house, but she no clue where Tobin’s voice had come from. 

“Your bathroom!” Tobin calls out from down the hall. 

What could she be doing in my bathroom, Alex wonders as she walks into her room. When she rounds the corner to the bathroom door, she sees feet on the floor. Just as she’s about to yell if Tobin’s alright, she realizes Tobin is half under her sink. 

“What are you doing?” Alex inquires, kneeling to look at her. 

“Hey,” Tobin grins at her, “can you hand me that wrench?” 

Alex looks at the smattering of tools on the floor. “Uh,” she picks up what she thinks is a wrench.   
Tobin shakes her head, “The other one, the one next to it,” Alex hands it over. Tobin tightens something one handed and hands the tool back to her. 

“What are you doing? You shouldn’t be on the floor like this, you’re going to hurt your ribs.” Alex chastises, shaking her head at her. 

Tobin carefully slides out from under the sink, using her right hand to get to her knees. “I’m being careful,” she explains, “your sink was leaking.” 

“You could have waited for me and I could have gone under there and fixed it,” Alex complains. 

Tobin just grins at her, “Yeah,” she smirks at her, raising an eyebrow, “and what wrench would you have used?” 

Alex opens her mouth to reply but there’s nothing to be said. 

“Thought so,” Tobin chuckles, turning on the water and then carefully bending down to look at the pipe, “good to go.” She nods to herself, beginning to place the extra toilet paper back in place in the cabinet. Alex gently elbows her way in, “I’ll do that,” she insists, “you go wash up and relax,” she says, “you shouldn’t over do it.” 

Tobin considers replying, but then thinks better of it and stretches out her hand, Alex stands and takes it, pulling Tobin up. They’re face to face, bodies almost touching. 

“Uh,” Tobin says a little nervously, “I could hear it dripping this morning after you left. I didn’t want to let it get out of control.” 

“Well,” Alex says, running her hand on Tobin’s arm, “thank you.” 

Tobin picks up the adjustable wrench and the two other tools. 

“Where did you get those?” Alex asks, looking at them in Tobin’s hand. 

“Uh, your tool box? In the garage?” 

“Oh,” Alex shrugs, “of course.” 

Tobin nods and smiles, “Sure thing,” she says, “uh, I, uh, should go.” 

Alex raises her eyebrows in question, not moving to let Tobin pass. “I need to check on dinner,” Tobin explains. 

“Oh,” Alex steps aside, her face burning from embarrassment, she then drops to her knees, putting the items back in the cabinet. 

 

“What’s all this?” Alex questions as she walks up next to Tobin at the island, watching as Tobin closes the oven door. 

Tobin runs a hand through her long hair. “Um,” she says, “it’s uh, from your pantry.” 

“Okay, and?” Alex asks, looking at the boxes of cake mix, snacks, noodles, and other items. 

Tobin is biting her lower lip, then she scrunches her mouth, and sighs. “Please don’t, like, get mad or be embarrassed, okay?” 

Alex opens her hands, gesturing for her to continue. 

“I was looking to see what was around to make for dinner and I rolled across these noodles.” Tobin picks up the long thin box of spaghetti noodles, she sets them down, “and one thing led to another and here it is.” 

Alex looks down and inspects the boxes and other packages, she looks up at Tobin, “Here what is? I don’t get it.” 

Tobin sucks in some air through her teeth, “It’s all expired.” She mumbles, looking away. 

“Oh,” Alex replies, then looking at a box, lifting it and seeing the expiration date. She cringes. “Oh,” 

Alex sifts through some of the other items, once again feeling the burn of her face turning red from embarrassment. She shakes her head, “This is embarrassing.” She states. 

“Eh,” Tobin shrugs, giving her a lopsided grin, “I’ve seen worse.” 

“Oh yeah, where?’ Alex challenges, grinning back at her, set to ease by Tobin’s calmness. 

“My apartment.” Tobin laughs. 

Alex laughs and opens the bottom drawer of the island, frowning when she shuts it. 

“You’re out of garbage bags.” Tobin giggles. 

“But of course!” Alex laughs, shaking her head. “Did you see I made a note for the store though? I should get points for that!” 

“Oh, absolutely!” Tobin laughs with her. She shakes her head and smiles at her. The buzzer on the oven timer goes off. “Are you hungry now or want to wait?” 

“We can eat now,” Alex offers, “it’s fine, I can eat.”

“Cool,” Tobin grins, “would you mind taking it out of the oven? It’s a little heavy to do one handed.” 

“Oh, sure!” Alex agrees, opening the cabinet and putting on a pair of penguin oven mitts. 

She gets the baking dish out, setting it on the stove top. “That looks amazing!” She exclaims, “What is it?” 

“Uh, it’s just baked chicken with some cream of chicken soup and rice.” Tobin shrugs, “I didn’t have much to work with.” She smirks. 

“Go sit, I’ll make the plates.” Alex orders, shooing her away. 

“Can I get us drinks at least, please?” Tobin asks, gesturing towards the fridge.

“Fine,” Alex concedes, “I’ll have a water,” she sees Tobin nod. 

 

“That was really good for three ingredients.” Alex compliments as they both finish eating. 

Tobin smiles, “I’ve had to get creative before, at my place.” She lets out a soft chuckle, “I may or may not have forgotten to shop for food a few times.” 

Alex nods, “Yeah, it’s just never super high on my list of priorities.” 

Alex sees Tobin bite her lower lip again, nodding to herself and then up at her. “Lex,” she says, “uh, I’d really like to talk to about what is going on.” 

“Okay,” Alex agrees, “how about I clean up here and you get yourself prepared or whatever and I’ll meet you on the couch?” 

“Sounds good.” Tobin agrees, pulling the chair next to her out and sliding into it, opening her laptop. 

 

Alex sits next to Tobin on the couch, Tobin in her corner, cushioned by a pillow on her side and one for her arm. Her laptop rests on her legs, a notebook by her arm and a pen stuck behind her ear. 

Alex hands Tobin her glass of water, Tobin nodding, then taking a drink and setting on the side table. 

“Okay,” Tobin nods, then looks at Alex, “all I ask is that you keep an open mind, okay?” 

“Of course.” 

Tobin lets out a breath, “I’ve been a Private Investigator for a little over two years now,” Tobin begins, “it wasn’t that hard to get jobs when I first started. People were looking for help dealing with identity theft and financial hacking and stuff. So, I was rarely out in the field, like having to interview a ton of people or anything, it was mostly computer work.” 

“I lived in Chapel Hill, I had gone to UNC and worked on their police force. I loved it, except I couldn’t surf much,” she shrugs, “but it was a cool area to live in.” 

“About three months into it, I was approached by a UNC alum, she was also a booster for the women’s soccer team, so I kind of knew her through that. She was concerned about some students that had died on campus the last few years.” 

“I had heard about it in the news, but just figured it would end up being drugs or some weird kinky sex deaths or something, you know?” She looks over at Alex, who is listening intently. “Those stories kind of fall off fast in a college town, you don’t hear a lot about the follow up.” 

“Anyway,” she says, clearing her throat, “I agreed to look into it. What I had found was weird and interesting and when I discussed it with her, she asked if I would be interested in expanding my research.” 

Tobin take a sip of water, setting the glass on the side table. “That’s when the Alumni Group of the Triangle Schools hired me.” 

“Triangle Schools?” Alex asks, tilting her head. 

“That’s UNC, NC State and Duke. They’re all located pretty close together in the area.” Tobin explains.

“Oh, right,” Alex nods, now the name being familiar to her. 

“I was asked to expand my search to include Duke and NC State as well as UNC. I discovered that most of the deaths and a percentage of attacks on campus were to students who were majoring in science, specifically, like research, pathology, cancer, stem cells stuff. The Triangle Alumni were concerned if it could be a form of terrorism.” 

“I dug deeper, all by computer, because they didn’t want me interviewing students or being on campus. They didn’t want to stir up any trouble, you know? They wanted to find the facts first, then make a game plan of how to present it to the authorities, so they didn’t want me tipping their hand just yet.” 

“Makes sense,” Alex agrees, nodding. 

“What I found,” Tobin shakes her head, “was super weird. In just those three universities, there were over three hundred attacks and seventy-five deaths in the last seven years. I researched every police report and created a victim analysis chart. I documented everything I could about the victims, age, sex, birth places, their majors, their minors, class rankings, criminal records,” she pauses, “everything I could think of, I put on that chart.” 

“It took three months, but what I found was…disturbing.” Tobin says, rubbing at her eye under her glasses, “amongst the three campuses, after filtering out the drunken brawls, domestic type issues, and basic robberies, car jackings and things like that, I saw that thirty-seven percent of the attacks were on science majors. Twenty three percent of the deaths were science majors.” 

Alex raises her eyebrows, leaning closer to Tobin. 

“So, I looked at the majors and minors a bit closer you know?” Tobin nods at Alex. “Combined, those one hundred and eleven students attacked all were involved in progressive science, the medical field, nursing, stem cell research, cancer, genetics, everything about the advancement of the medical field.” 

Tobin glances at Alex, seeing her frown. 

“Of the other one hundred and eighty-nine other students attacked, there was no significant percentage of majors or minors noted.” Tobin says, showing just how strange this finding was. 

“That’s pretty wild.” Alex says, “although, those schools are kind of known for those fields.” 

“I thought that as well,” Tobin agrees, “but here’s what made me think it was targeted: those one eleven assaults? They were all in the top ten percent of their respective classes.” 

“Woah,” Alex lets out. 

“Those that died?” Tobin lets out a sigh, “I was able to access the official coroner’s reports. No drugs, no alcohol, no pre-existing medical condition that would attribute to their deaths. On _all_ of them. All seventeen students. Natural causes.” 

The two are silent as they absorb that. 

“Those kids, the ones who died,” Tobin says softly, “they were top five percent of their class.” 

Another beat of silence. 

“So, who do you think is doing this?” Alex asks, shifting on the couch so she’s facing Tobin. 

“I developed a theory about that,” Tobin nods, “before I could present it to the Alumni group, that’s when I met Hope and Kelley and the others.” 

“I must have stumbled across something that tipped them off,” she continues, “and before you know it, I’m one of them.” she finishes bitterly. Alex can see how tense Tobin suddenly is, her right hand is clenched in a tight fist, her shoulders are rigid. 

“What’s this theory of yours?” Alex asks quietly, thinking maybe just staying on track would be the best option. 

“Right,” Tobin says, her voice clipped, letting out a breath. She reaches for her water cup and takes a drink, Alex can see she’s trying to calm and reset herself. She moves her laptop closer and opens it, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she enters her password. 

She clicks on a few files and then looks at Alex. 

“Just remember,” she advises, “I asked that you keep an open mind okay?” 

“I will,” Alex replies, she’s now sitting directly next to Tobin, they’re side by side and their legs are touching because she’s sitting so close. 

Tobin right clicks on the file and opens the first one. A very old woodcut print fills the screen. Alex leans in to look at it. It’s the image of those Dementors, crudely drawn, but showing them around a table that seems to have an infant on it. The caption reads ‘Interfectores infantium fecit dissertas cum praeda.’ It’s dated 1596. 

Alex doesn’t know enough Latin from med school to remember exactly what it means, she nudges Tobin. 

“Killers of infants with their prey.” Tobin says. 

She clicks on another image, showing a Dementor, this one is hovering over someone in a bed, lines coming out of their mouth area into the sleeping figure, dated 1652. 

“Spiritus est mortis.” Tobin says, “To breath death.” 

The next one, dated 1699, “Touch of death,” Tobin explains, Alex seeing the dark figure reaching out a menacing long finger towards a woman. 

The last one shows a group of the black figures, seemingly floating in the night sky. ‘Diaboli mors’ reads the tagline from 1744. 

“Fiends of death,” Tobin whispers. 

“They, they, look just like what I saw that night,” Alex whispers, her voice full of wonder and amazement. “Where did you find these?” she looks up at Tobin. 

“Some are from overseas, some are off the Salem Witch website.” She replies. 

“Those things are witches?” Alex asks, glancing back at the last image. 

Tobin nods, “It’s what a witch can transform into,” she explains, “during the full moon phase.” 

“Do they just kill people?” Alex asks, “What do they want?” 

“From what we’ve been able to learn and the research that I’ve done that only can confirm those suspicions, they are targeting college students, attempting to bewitch them to join their ranks.” Tobin answers, looking at Alex, trying to read her reaction. 

“What is their objective? Why would they want these kids?” Alex asks, her forehead furrowed as she processed this. 

“Well,” Tobin shifts, exiting out of the image and opening a new file, “we’ll talk just about the Salem Witches for right now, but know that this story is similar across the world, okay?” 

“Yeah,” Alex nods, “sure.” 

“Why don’t you just read this and then we’ll talk about it?” Tobin offers, pushing the laptop towards her. 

Alex takes it in her hands and sets it on her lap, reading the history of the witch trials. She knew just from school about how children were acting strangely and that was one of the first clues to the alleged witchcraft occurring in the village. 

Tobin fidgeted next to her, alternating between tapping her fingers on her leg, scratching the back of neck and her foot spasming on the ottoman, Alex glancing at it, figuring she was a foot tapper as well. 

“So, it seems as if these witches were accused of accosting the children,” Alex states, looking over at her, “and then were accused of using babies as sacrifices. How does that connect to now?” 

“I was just working on what was happening around the Triangle of schools,” Tobin explains, “since that issue has been resolved, for now, it appears that these attacks occur in cities that have some known covens. So, we know they are the ones responsible for the attacks.” 

“Okay,” Alex nods, “what are they after?” 

“I’m getting to that,” Tobin says, “I’m trying to give you the most complete picture of this.” Alex nods, trying not to be distracted by how incredibly attractive Tobin is in her glasses. 

“So,” Tobin begins, “we’ve determined that they are targeting the medical field, and it’s pretty wide the types of people they want to join them. It starts with nurses, placed in hospitals, from cancer wards to maternity. Then, doctors in the same areas. The labs, the research companies, in both the public and private sector. They’ve targeted midwives, the lay people who help deliver babies, anything like that.” 

She pauses, looking at Alex carefully. “They’ve targeted veterinarians, for their work with animals and how many of those new treatment discoveries lead to use with humans.” 

Alex raises her eyebrows, now realizing why Tobin has been so insistent about the level of danger they were in. 

“They’re after people who work with stem cells.” Tobin states. 

“Huh,” is all Alex can say as she thinks of the possibilities. 

“They want to maximize the use of the brain and they think neural stem cells can do it, creating people with a higher I.Q. and powers of the occult.” 

“Neural,” Alex murmurs, nodding to herself. There was some substance to this. This could be credible, science wasn’t there yet, but if they were targeting college students, having them in those areas where they had access to stem cells and were also involved in research, they could accelerate the testing, especially if they kept it under the radar of the FDA and other medical organizations. If they had their own funding, they could possibly create their own underground lab. 

She glances at Tobin and sees she’s biting her lower lip again, her eyes on her lap. 

“That’s why you told me about Allie,” Alex states slowly, now realizing Tobin’s motivation. 

Tobin nods, a grimace on her face. Alex thinks she looks like she may be ill. 

“I don’t know all of the details, but the email I saw that was intercepted, there was talk of going after pollical science students.” Tobin says, her voice thick. 

“Infiltrate the government,” Alex murmurs, shaking her head. 

Silence. 

“So,” Alex turns again, setting the laptop on the ottoman, “what exactly does the wolf pack do?” 

“Simply put, we use technology to target the campuses we think the next attacks will occur. We try to protect the targeted students and come in and fight the Dementors, contain the coven for eradication and move on.” Tobin replies, taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes. 

“What do you mean eradicate the coven?” Alex asks, leaning closer. 

“You don’t want to know.” Tobin replies, not looking at her. 

“Tobin!” Alex says, a little sharper than she intends, making Tobin flinch.

“Lex,” Tobin makes a face, not wanting to discuss it. 

“What do you mean?” Alex insists. 

“Alright!” Tobin barks out, clearly annoyed. She sighs, “I’m sorry.” 

Alex takes Tobin’s right hand in hers, squeezing it, “Tell me?” she asks softly. 

“There’s this other group,” Tobin’s eyes flick on her, then back down to her lap, “the wolves, we, uh, keep any Dementors we can, like, try to guard them so they can’t leave wherever we’re at. And this other group,” she pauses, swallowing hard, “they, they’re the Cleaners, they follow us each night, watching and waiting,” she says, her voice beginning to tremble and rise in pitch, “and then they come in and take them.” 

“What happens to them, Tobin.” Alex asks firmly, “What do they do?” 

Alex watches as Tobin takes a breath, letting it out with a soft whimper, “They,” she pauses as her chin quivers, emotions overtaking her, “they kill them!” She sobs, pulling her hand free of Alex’s bringing her left up to her face, head bent as she cries. 

Alex doesn’t move. She can’t. She’s frozen in place, watching as Tobin completely unravels. 

“I didn’t ask for this!” She cries, “I had a good thing going,” she sobs, “I was helping people, making a difference!” 

She looks up at Alex, her face mottled with color, cheeks wet from her tears, “They found me, they made me this, this, this monster!” She says bitterly, her sobs wracking her chest, “Even though I was working on the same fucking thing, finding the answers they needed,” she chokes out, “Hope bit me, she made me one of them.” 

“I’m trapped,” she’s says unevenly, her words intermixed with uncontrollable hitches and hiccups, “I have to do what they say, I can’t even see my own fucking family!” She looks at Alex, so forlorn, so hopeless, “They killed my sister!” 

Tobin buries her face in her hands again, Alex sliding over, getting as close as she can, wrapping her arms around her, hugging her as tightly as she can, hoping it would make Tobin feel not so alone. She feels Tobin lean in to her, her body trembling, heat coming off her. She holds her as she feels Tobin grow quieter, her choking sobs slowly becoming uneasy cries then hitches and soft whimpers. 

She holds her until it’s Tobin who finally raises her head, looking at Alex with tired bloodshot eyes, her face now pale. She frowns at her as she lets out a sigh, then sniffs, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. 

Alex reaches out her right hand to cup the side of her face, giving her a soft smile, her eyes watering at all Tobin’s gone through. Tobin closes her eyes, bending her neck to lean in to her touch. Tobin raises her casted arm to let her fingers touch the top of Alex’s hand. Alex pulls her in to hold her with both arms, Tobin’s head resting on her chest. 

“How did it happen?” Alex asks quietly, her voice raspy from emotions, “With your sister?” She asks because she gets the feeling Tobin maybe hasn’t really spoken to anyone about it and certainly hasn’t processed her grief. 

“Last June,” Tobin starts, her voice nasally, and flat, “not this past one, the one before it,” she clarifies, “my sister had heart bypass surgery. She did really well and was rehabbing. It was, like, three weeks after it happened and we’d meet at the park. I’d run and she ride her bike. I remember it was a Thursday, it was dark and we were on the trail. There were other people around, but we were by this ravine that the trail went through. The trail’s nice, it’s paved and well lit, and it’s near the end of our run and her and I would sprint it to see if she could beat me.” She takes her glasses off and wipes her eyes, then puts them back on. 

She takes a breath, “There were four of them. I think. The wolves. They jumped out of the bushes on the side of the little ravine, one of them landing on me, knocking me into Katie on the bike. We wiped out, both of us yelling.” 

Tobin raises her head and sits back, taking Alex’s hand and holding it as she leans her head back on the couch cushion, looking at Alex. 

“It was Hope.” She continues, “I tried to get to Katie, they wolves surrounded me. They were snarling and growling and then Hope grabbed my leg. She shook it and then bit me.” 

She sniffs again, “They took off into the woods, I crawled to Katie, she was holding her leg. There was so much blood.” Tobin closes her eyes, “She broke her leg, her tibia and it was sticking out, you could see a good inch of it. People stopped to help, we made a tourniquet, we did everything we could.” 

She opens her eyes to look at Alex, “She was on blood thinners from the heart surgery still.” 

Alex brings her free hand to her mouth, shocked, her eyes watering. 

“Katie saw how scared I was, I was freaking out.” Tobin shakes her head, “She kept saying it was okay, it didn’t hurt. It was fine.” Tobin shifts her eyes to look out in front of her, avoiding Alex. “She was comforting me as I held her as she lay there dying,” she shakes her head again, “being the big sister, looking out for me, as always.” 

She licks her lips and wipes her mouth, “Two days later, Hope and Kelley were in my apartment. Hope gave me thirty days to get my affairs in order, pack my shit and bury my sister. She told me they would be watching and if I didn’t do as she said, my other sister or my Mom would be next.” 

“Oh my God, Tobin,” Alex lets out softly, rubbing her thumb on the back of Tobin’s hand.

They sit in silence, Tobin staring off into space, Alex staring at Tobin, wondering how she could possibly deal with what had happened to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thorns. 
> 
> Tobin. Fucking. Heath.
> 
> where will you be on Saturday? 
> 
>  
> 
> Again, thanks for the kudos and comments- it's always appreciated. 
> 
> What are you thinking after this part of Tobin's tale?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin's story continues and Alex encourages her to break away from the wolf pack. We hear about Alex's sister Jeri and Tobin meets Allie.

Monday, September 11th  
4th Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

She doesn’t know how long they sit there on the couch, but Tobin startles her when she speaks suddenly. 

“We’ve come this far,” she says, giving Alex’s hand a little squeeze, “I guess we should go all the way.” She gives her this tired, sad, crooked smile, then turns her face away from her again, looking straight forward. 

“I’ve been on lockdown for the past two months or so,” Tobin shares, “they took my gun and all my migraine meds away from me. Christine, she’s super cool, she’s like, our medic, she would give my meds to me when I needed them.” She turns to look at Alex, “They were preventing me from killing myself.” 

“Transforming is agony,” Tobin states, “and I’m the only member of the pack who remembers the pain. It’s violent, it’s hurts so bad, and being a wolf, it’s like, so against my nature, like a part of me I didn’t know I possessed.” 

“Dual nature?” Alex asks quietly. 

Tobin snorts and nods her head, “That’s what Hope says,” she states, her tone sharp, “she thinks it’s because I’m a Gemini.” Tobin pauses, sniffing again, swallowing hard and then continues. 

“But I’m the only one who gets migraines for the three days after as well.” She looks down and picks at the pillowcase her hand is resting on. “Christine thinks it’s because I’m lefthanded and my brain is wired differently.” 

Alex considers it, she nods, it’s a possibility. She’s seen some animals react differently to meds and treatments for all sorts of reasons. She also knows the moon phase is a real thing when it comes to animal behavior. 

“I just want it to end,” Tobin says, “I can’t do it. I can’t do the violence, the hunting, it’s not me. I’m not like that.” Alex watches as a fresh tear rolls down Tobin’s cheek. “This is no way to live.” 

They’re silent again for a few minutes, Alex trying to process everything Tobin has shared with her. She’s in shock that Tobin would want to end it all, although, now seeing how painful her migraines were, she could understand a little. 

Being forced away from her family, being forced to work for them, it had to be hard. It sounded to Alex like Tobin was often left alone as well. Only able to stew in her thoughts and let her resentment grow. 

“When Kling told you that Christine packed my bag,” Tobin speaks again, “it was because Christine gave me my gun and my meds back.” She looks at Alex, her face drawn, “She was giving me permission to do what I wanted to.” 

“Are you gonna do it?” Alex asks, fearing what Tobin’s answer may be. Even though she’s only known her for a few days, Alex feels lighter, she feels hope, like maybe she can get past her sister’s death and start living again. She enjoys Tobin’s company enormously, she thinks maybe there’s a chance they could be together.

Tobin shakes her head, “Meeting you has got me all confused,” she admits, looking up and giving her a rueful smile, “I like you a lot, I just” she sighs, “this is so dangerous, I don’t know if I could handle it if something happened to you.” 

“I really like you, too, Tobin,” Alex affirms, “maybe there’s a way out of this.” 

“I don’t know, Alex,” Tobin answers softly. 

Alex reacts by standing quickly, pushing the ottoman back and kneeling before Tobin, grabbing both of her hands. 

“Let me try?” She asks, her eyes searching, “Just tell them that you can’t do it anymore and stay here. I can sedate you through the full moon, you wouldn’t feel a thing, I could help you during your migraines.” 

Tobin shakes her head sadly, “I’d still be tied to the pack, Lex. Hope is the alpha, there’s this power she has over me.” 

“Well, what if you threatened to expose them or something?” Alex asks, “What if you created false data and sent them somewhere as an ambush and Hope got killed?” 

“I couldn’t intentionally get her killed, it’s not in me, I can’t do it. Besides, then Kelley would just step in as the new alpha.” Tobin says quietly, “But,” she considers, “there may be something I could hold over them.” 

“Couldn’t you like, do something with the computers?” Alex asks, now feeling desperate. 

“Maybe,” Tobin nods, feeling a little hope to her situation, “but I’d still be a werewolf. I could get shot, I could get exposed,” she then smirks at Alex, “I could get hit by a car.” 

Alex stands up, grabbing the pillow on Tobin’s lap and tossing it aside, straddling Tobin on the couch. She brings her hands to Tobin’s face, holding her gently. “I’ll risk it,” she says, leaning forward and kissing her softly. 

“There’s so many risks, Lex,” Tobin murmurs, her lips brushing Alex’s. 

“I don’t care,” Alex says, “let’s try at least.” She kisses her again, her tongue sliding against Tobin’s lips, pressing hard, urging for permission to enter her mouth. She feels Tobin’s hand move to grip her waist, Tobin’s lips parting and they finally come together. They taste each other’s unique flavor, tongues twisting, craving and desire urging them to kiss until they must break apart to breathe. 

They’re both panting, looking at each other with a mix of lust and fear. 

“Are you sure?” Tobin questions, her voice wrecked and raw.

“Very.” Alex nods and kisses her again. 

“We have to be so careful.” Tobin says after they part. 

“We will.” Alex promises. Tobin kisses her. 

“We should work on a plan,” Tobin says, finally breaking away from Alex’s addictive kisses. “Not that I don’t want to do that more, but we need to figure some things out.” 

“Yeah,” Alex agrees, reluctantly sliding off Tobin’s lap to sit next to her. 

Tobin slowly stands up, looking down at her, giving her a gentle smile. “We’ll get more work done at the kitchen table.” 

“Right.” Alex stands as well, gathering Tobin’s laptop and notebooks and leading the way to the table.

“We should establish why you’re here.” Alex says as she sits down. “I like your idea of being my cousin who’s working in the city. The Uber accident. I think it’s believable.” 

Tobin nods, and then smirks “Am I your kissing cousin from Alabama?” 

“Shut up!” Alex laughs, seeing the smile spread across Tobin’s face. There’s something else she hasn’t seen before in Tobin’s eyes, those honey colored eyes, flecked with yellowish accents. She thinks it’s hope. 

“Okay, seriously,” Tobin nods, “I’m doing contract work for one of the big banks in their fraud department. We’ll keep it to computer security, so if I get asked, I can talk about it.” 

“You don’t start for a month, you had time in between your last job so you thought you’d check out the city out and hang around.” Alex adds. 

“You invited me to stay with you since I’m not working right now.” Tobin nods. 

“And you’re doing stuff for me, like fixing leaky pipes.” Alex smiles. 

Tobin smiles back, “Yeah.” 

They sit for a minute, both taking in that they are really going to do this. 

“Okay,” Tobin says, “I’ve got some ideas on some scenarios I can use against the wolf pack. I can work on those.” 

“You know I’ve done work on stem cells with joints in animals,” Alex states, “I know there’s other vets out there doing work on organ functions. Like, using stem cells to treat cancer. I would need to figure out what body system would be most responsible for your transformation. Most likely endocrine. We’d have to test your blood and see if it’s altered. Maybe we could treat your werewolf condition like cancer and remove the wolf cells?” 

“Actually,” Tobin says, reaching for her notebook, flipping it open and paging through it. “I did some research on it,” she says, “on the down low.” 

“I can’t read that,” Alex reminds her. 

“Oh, yeah,” Tobin nods sheepishly, “I’ll translate it and let you read it tomorrow.” 

They talk some more about the plan, knowing they both had much work do to before they could actually figure out something workable. 

It’s getting late and Alex is lying in bed, shuffling her pages of notes, both of them are tired and ready for bed. She sets them aside and snuggles under the covers. 

“Lex?” Tobin questions, “Uh, do you want to hold on to my gun and my meds?” 

Alex looks at her shrewdly, wondering what the right answer to this is. “I can, if it makes you feel better,” she agrees, knowing there’s a host of other ways that Tobin could kill herself here, a kitchen knife, cleaning fluids, hanging herself in her barn. But she sees it as an offering, an offering of trust. 

Tobin looks happy at her reply, “Okay.” 

“Just,” Alex begins, wondering how to say what’s she’s feeling, “just talk to me, okay? Like, if you’re feeling low and having some dark thoughts, don’t keep it to yourself.” 

Tobin looks at her for a long time, considering her reply. She nods, “Okay,” she says, “I’ll try my best.” She looks down at her hands, “I haven’t exactly had anyone to talk to for awhile, so I need to work on not holding it all in.” 

“I understand,” Alex says softly, “I’ll do my best to help you,”

Alex clicks off the lamp on her nightstand, scooting closer to Tobin, feeling Tobin’s arm reach out and hold her close. She snuggles onto her right shoulder, shifting to her side and hooking a leg over hers. 

“I’ve never told anyone what I told you tonight.” Tobin’s voice breaks the silence of the darkened room. 

“I won’t break your trust.” Alex replies. 

“Lex?” Tobin questions, shifting and now running her fingers along Alex’s upper arm, “will you tell me about your sister?” 

“She was my oldest sister,” Alex begins, feeling comfortable telling to Tobin, “five years older than me. She mommed me a lot growing up and I was always bothering her, wanting to hang out and be cool like her. We got super close while I was in high school and she was in college.” She readjusts her head on Tobin’s shoulder, snuggling down a little.

“She’s the one who helped me with my career.” She continues, “She’s the one who suggested I try something different, me going downstate to that stable I worked at for a while. That’s where I fell in love with horses. She invited me to join her practice, as a partner, and come here to live.” 

“That’s pretty cool,” Tobin murmurs, brushing her head against the top of Alex’s. 

“Yeah,” Alex agrees, smiling to herself, “it was awesome. She had been getting busier and that’s when I discovered I really liked labor and delivery and also caring for geriatric horses. That’s how I got interested in the stem cell treatments.” 

“How did you meet Allie?” Tobin questions, still softly stroking Alex’s upper arm. Alex likes it, it feels so relaxing to her. 

“She actually knew my other friend Christen, she’s a doctor at the children’s hospital in the city. She moved out here just a few months after I did and was looking for something to do. She had a little bit of a medical office background and Jeri and I really needed the help. We both hated the paper work side of things.” She pauses for a moment, thinking of how Allie so quickly became so indispensable.

“We got to be really good friends.” She continues, “Jeri had breast cancer just after she graduated college. She got a mastectomy, went through chemo and radiation and then came out here. She told me she was living on borrowed time, even though they told her they had gotten all the cancer. She wanted to live in the country and take care of animals for as long as she could.” 

Tobin issues a sympathetic noise from the back of her throat, letting Alex know she was still listening. 

“My Mom hated she was so far away, she was always worried about her, asking if she had gotten her check ups and things. When I finished vet school and got my first job, it was my Mom who kept saying how cool it would be if I went and lived and worked with her.” 

Alex sighs, “I know my Mom was just really worried, but then Jeri and I got even closer, the job bringing us together. When I went down to Southern Cal, I knew right away I loved working with horses. There’s just something so special about them. Complex, strong, and they’re so smart. I called Jeri after I was there for only two months, telling her how much I had fallen in love with it. The barns, the early mornings, the people, the horses.” 

“We’d talk for hours about different cases we each were treating, how we were managing, asking each other’s opinions. I finally felt like I was on even ground with her, you know?” 

“Yeah, I know that feeling.” Tobin agrees quietly. 

“Jeri kept telling me how busy she was and I told her she needed to get a partner to share the workload.” Tobin can feel Alex’s head move as she gives it a shake, “The next day I got a certified envelop, a letter, on her business letterhead, stating that she was interested in expanding her practice and after a review of my qualifications would like to invite me in as a partner.” 

“That’s so cool,” Tobin breathes out.

“Yeah,” Alex smiles, “I gave my notice and then two weeks later packed up everything I owned and came here. My Mom and Dad were delighted, my sister Jen thought it was awesome and so did I. I felt like I earned it, you know? It wasn’t her handing it to me, she let me find my way and saw I was a good vet. A damn good vet.” 

She sniffs a little at the memory, “Our first year was awesome, then, just after Christmas, that’s when she found out the cancer had come back. Her other breast, lungs and brain.” 

“Uuhm,” Tobin grimaces at the news. “oh man,” 

“Yeah,” Alex says, her voice growing raspy, “it was aggressive, so they treated it aggressively. They removed a half of one lung, a third of the other, they took her other breast. The brain, they couldn’t do much with except the chemo and radiation. For a while, Jeri fought hard, then she got sick. The radiation and chemo made her so weak, it didn’t take much. The next tests found that the cancer had spread to her bones.” 

“She was so mad she was too weak to kill herself.” Alex laughs darkly, “She complained that we could euthanize an animal with these problems and it would be compassionate to put them out of their misery and she couldn’t do it for herself.” 

“My parents were here for a week about every other month, Jen came in for long weekends, I had a nurse coming in during the day. Allie handled all of the office necessities and made sure I ate and took care of myself.” Alex’s voice trembles, “At night, it was the two us, she was asleep during a lot of it, mostly because of the drugs, but when she was awake, she’d want to hear about my day, what I was doing, how the animals were. How I was treating them.” 

She feels Tobin stop rubbing her arm, now gripping it and holding her close. “As it got worse, she begged me to let her go, to let her die, to please just overdose her.” Alex sniffs, “I made a deal with her. I called my Mom and Jen and told them they needed to come. It was time. I promised Jeri when they got here and had a chance to say goodbye, I would give her the morphine.” 

Alex begins to cry, “And that’s what I did.” 

She feels Tobin shift and her left hand is gripping her arm, pulling her even closer onto her, Tobin’s right hand moving up to tenderly stroke her hair. Tobin doesn’t speak, there’s nothing she could say to comfort Alex in this moment, she just holds her, letting her get her emotions out. Over her crying Alex can hear that Tobin’s softly humming, maybe a song, if it is one, she doesn’t recognize it, but it’s soothing, gentle and it lets Alex know that she here’s for her. Just being with her. Allowing her to be vulnerable. 

Alex begins to sniffle, wondering if she’s gotten Tobin’s shirt all wet and then not caring because she thinks she knows enough about Tobin to know she wouldn’t care. She’s still humming her softly melody, and Alex hopes that she’s been able to provide Tobin a fraction of the caring and comfort she feels from her right now. 

To the soft humming and the slow rise and fall of Tobin’s chest as she breathes steadily, Alex soon falls asleep. 

 

Tuesday, September 12th  
1st Day of Last Quarter Moon 

 

Alex wakes before her alarm goes off, feeling Tobin’s cast against her stomach. They’re both on their sides, Tobin snuggled up behind her holding her. She can feel warm little puffs of Tobin’s breath on her neck, it tickles her, but she doesn’t move away. 

She sighs contentedly, reveling in this feeling, Tobin’s arm around her, her body pressed against her. She could get used to this. She knows they have to talk, she needs to know what Tobin’s plan is, if she even has one past just over her injuries. Shit, she thinks, her ribs are probably going to be sore from last night, all that crying. Is she really serious about killing herself. 

She sighs again, knowing they both have a mountain of issues to work through and that’s not even adding the element of danger to it. She wonders if Tobin as completed her research on Allie. Is she really a threat or just questionable. Will Tobin be able to come up with something that would allow her to break away from the wolf pack? 

Is it possible to use stem cells or cancer treatment protocol to fight against whatever it is that turns Tobin into a wolf? 

She huffs out, feeling overwhelmed and it’s too early to be thinking this hard. 

“What’s wrong, hhhuummm?” Tobin sleepily asks, nudging her nose again Alex’s neck. A shiver runs down Alex’s spine at the contact. 

“Nothing,” Alex rasps back, shifting a little, “go back to sleep, we still have time.” 

“Nuh uh,” Tobin says, stirring more and shifting to stretch out her legs, “what’s the matter?” 

Alex sighs, “I just woke up and started thinking about everything and it’s overwhelming.” 

“Oh,” Tobin chuckles, “that’s all?” She moves her arm slowly from Alex, turning to lie flat, “I thought it was something, like, serious.” 

Alex shifts as well, lying on her back and turning to look at Tobin, “It’s not funny,” 

Tobin looks at her, “No, it’s not,” she agrees, giving her a sleepy crooked grin, “it’s hilarious.” 

“Tobin!” Alex chides her, lightly slapping her shoulder, “I’m not kidding!” 

Tobin just looks at her, her grin fading into seriousness, “I know.” She says quietly. “I was just teasing. I’m sorry.” 

“There’s so much to do, I don’t know where or how to start.” Alex complains, letting out another frustrated breath. 

“So, pick one, just one,” Tobin encourages, “or can you rate them at a level of importance? Prioritize them? Me? I’m going to finish up my researching on suspects this morning and then I’m going to translate my notes for you about stem cells. If I still have time, then maybe I’ll start looking at some scenarios to talk to Hope about, something to negotiate about getting out of the wolf pack.” 

“Well, for one, I want to find out what the options are for stem cell treatments on humans, it’s different than animals.” Alex thinks out loud. 

“That’s in my research, you’ll have it tonight.” Tobin replies. “Next?” 

“I’m worried about what you’ll find out about Allie,” Alex admits, “I don’t think I could face her if she was a suspect.” 

“I should be able to tell you that at lunch.” Tobin nods her head. “Next?” 

“I’m wondering if you have a plan for yourself.” Alex says quietly, looking into Tobin’s sleepy brown eyes. “I’m wondering if you’re seriously contemplating suicide,” she drops her eyes, unable to look at her now, “or if you think you might want to stay around here if things work out.” 

“Lex,” Tobin shifts again to lay on her side, looking at her, she reaches out with her left arm and takes Alex’s right hand in hers, “I want to be truthful with you,” she says quietly, looking into Alex’s dazzling blue eyes, “it’s too soon to know what might happen,” she says slowly, softly, her voice low and tired, “but I want to fight. I want to get out and not by killing myself.” She shakes head, smiling at her, “In just these few days, I feel something for you and I don’t know what it is, but it’s more than just liking you, I get this energy from you, you can make me calm and at the same time, make me feel that I could do anything. For the first time, I feel like there’s some hope to this situation. I don’t know how yet, or what might happen.” She leans in closer, “And if I get through this and you keep kissing me like you did last night…” she smiles at her, her eyes beaming, “I don’t know how I could stay away.” 

She leans in and kisses her softly.

“Does that answer set your mind at ease a little?” She questions. 

“Uh huh,” Alex replies, a little dazed from Tobin’s words and her kiss. She lifts her arm and brings her hand around Tobin’s neck, pulling her in and kissing her. 

She deepens the kiss, both of them moaning into each other’s mouths at the same time. Alex drops her hand and grips Tobin’s hip, pulling at her to slide her on top of her.

“Mmm,” Tobin winces, breaking the kiss. 

“Oh, did I hurt you?’ Alex eyes go wide. 

Tobin slowly slides off her, giving her a crooked grin, “Little sore still,” she says, Alex sees the regret in her eyes. 

“Sorry,” Alex winces, “I didn’t mean it,” 

Tobin smiles at her, “I know,” she says, “you got any magic bruise cream for dogs or something that will heal this up faster?” 

Alex laughs, “I might have some Wolf Balm in the office, I’ll check.” 

“Good,” Tobin replies, her eyes raking over Alex’s body, her lips, then back to her eyes, she bites her lip and then licks her lips, “I don’t know if I can keep my hands off you,” 

“Easy, horn dog,” Alex laughs, her alarm going off and she turns to shut if off.

“Shouldn’t that be horn wolf?” Tobin laughs, feeling so wonderful that she can joke with someone about this. 

Alex gets out of bed, pointing her finger at her, trying her best to look stern, “No humping my leg, Tobin!” 

Tobin cracks up, laughing and throwing the covers of herself and slowly easing out of bed, “I can’t make any promises.” 

 

 

“Who is at your house?” Allie asks, turning from the window and looking at Alex expectantly. 

“Huh?” Alex asks as she looks up from the computer. 

“Who. Is. At. Your. House?” Allie demands, turning to look out the window again. 

“Oh,” Alex’s eyes widen, her face flushing with guilt, “my cousin. She’s from Alabama,” she says quickly. Realizing what she just said, she slaps her forehead. Tobin is going to kill  
me, she thinks. 

“Really?” Allie turns to face her, “she get here last night?” 

“To my place,” Alex nods, calming herself, looking back at her computer screen, thinking if she just keeps working it won’t be suspicious. 

Allie sits across from her, opening the mail. “So, she just hanging out or what?” 

Alex looks up at her, realizing she’s going to have to talk about this. “She does computer work for banks or something? And she was hanging out in the city before she starts a new job and got in a car accident with her Uber driver. When I heard she wasn’t too far away, I told her to come stay with me while she recovers.” 

“Oh, is she okay?” Allie asks, leaning forward, her eyes showing concern. 

Alex nods, “Yeah, she’s got some bruised ribs and a busted wrist.” 

“Ouch,” Allie comments. 

“She might come by this afternoon,” Alex offers, “I need to take her stitches out.” 

Allie raises her eyebrows, “Stitches?” 

Alex taps the side of her head, “Up here.” Allie nods. 

“What’s her name?” 

“Tobin.” Alex replies. 

“Oooo, exotic!” Allie laughs a little. 

“Yeah, she’s a little different,” Alex grins, “you’ll like her.” 

“Cool, I can’t wait to meet her.” Allie smiles and continues opening the envelops. 

 

 

Alex enters her house at lunch time, giving Tobin a quick smile as she sets down her purse. 

“Hey,” Tobin greets, looking up from her laptop, “how was your morning?” 

“It was good,” Alex nods, eying Tobin’s outfit. She’s wearing jeans and an untucked solid dark brown flannel shirt. It’s open and reveals a tan v-neck t-shirt underneath. She glances and sees she’s barefoot. Her hair looks air dried, long and flowing over one side. 

“What smells so good?” Alex asks, lifting her head to sniff again. 

“Oh,” Tobin closes her laptop and stands up, walking to the island, “That’s dinner,” she grins, “Would you like a sandwich for lunch?” Tobin suddenly turns a little nervous, “I, um, I ordered in some groceries and stuff.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Alex states, a little more sharply than she intended, causing Tobin’s head to jerk up and look at her. 

“Oh,” Tobin says, her voice faltering. 

“No!” Alex laughs, “I didn’t mean it that way,” Alex says, striding next to her and rubbing her back lightly, “thank you for getting them, you didn’t have to.” She pauses. “Allie saw the delivery truck and asked me who was at the house.” She explains. 

“Oh,” Tobin nods, now getting it. 

“And I was caught off guard,” Alex says, biting her lip for a moment, then speaking low and quick, “and I might have said you were from Alabama.” 

“What?” Tobin asks loudly, a slight grin on her face. 

“She took me by surprise and then what you said last night popped in my head and before I knew it, it just slipped out.” Alex defends herself, speaking fast. 

Tobin just chuckles, turning to the fridge and opening the door, “What kind of lunch meat do you like?” she asks, humor still in her voice. 

“Aren’t you mad?” Alex asks, holding Tobin’s arm, “Didn’t I just screw this up?” 

“Nah,” Tobin shales her head at her, “it’s fine, I’ll come up with something and we’ll go from there. It’s no biggie. Now, lunch?”

Over sandwiches and chips Tobin fills Alex in on her research. 

“See, the tough thing about Allie is there were eight Alexandra Long’s on campus. We overlapped years there, but I don’t ever remember meeting her.” Tobin says, taking another bite and chewing. She swallows her food, “One of them was attacked, but the campus security records don’t list a middle name, nor does the article in the student newspaper.” 

“Huh,” Alex says as eats. 

“There were no photos either.” Tobin adds, just about finished her sandwich. “Six of the eight have hits to red flag websites but that could just be a weird glitch. Also, it was while they were in school, so it could have just been curiosity or a paper on the occult or something.” 

Alex nods, as she pops a chip in her mouth. 

“Your Allie has been clean since graduation,” Tobin says, eating a chip and leaning back in her chair, “and her husband, Jose, he comes up clean.” 

“So,” Alex leans back as well, looking over as Tobin takes a drink of milk, “what would that classify her as?” 

Tobin shrugs, “Someone to keep on the radar, but not necessarily as a solid suspect.” She nods at her, “Like I said, the hits on the websites were old and not reoccurring. It could have been anything.” 

“Good,” Alex sighs, relieved at the news. 

“I’m super glad,” Tobin smiles at her, “I wish it was spotless, but this is good.” 

“So, nobody is going to be bothering her or anything, right?” Alex looks up at her as Tobin rises from the table, taking her empty plate as well. 

“As far as I know, no.” She answers, bringing the plates to the sink. 

Alex’s phone rings, it’s a work tone. “Dr. Morgan,” she answers, listening to the caller. “Oh, sure,” she says, “I can be there in thirty minutes or so, is it bleeding badly?” She’s standing up and nodding her head, “That’s good, just let him stay there, don’t stress him any more than he is.” She nods again, “Okay, I’ll see you soon.” 

She sees Tobin watching her as she rinses the plates. “Did you check on the Harrison stable?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “they all came back fine.” 

“Want to go on a call? Get out of the house?” Alex asks, a smile playing at her lips, hoping Tobin agrees. 

“That would be awesome,” Tobin smiles, “I’ve been getting cabin fever.” 

“Cool,” Alex nods, smiling at her. 

“Let me get some boots on and my jacket. It’s chilly out, right?” Tobin asks as she heads down the hallway to the bedroom where she keeps her clothes.

“Yeah, a jacket would be good.” Alex calls after her. 

Alex has to fight to keep her jaw from dropping as Tobin walks towards her wearing a tan canvas Carhartt jacket, dark work boots and a brown beanie on her head. 

“What?” Tobin asks, looking at her curiously. 

“You look fucking hot.” Alex blurts out, blushing immediately. 

“Well,” she leans closer to her, “you’re looking pretty fine yourself, babe.” She gives her a soft peek on her lips. 

“Let’s go,” Alex advises, even though she’d love nothing more than staying here and making out with Tobin right now, “you’re going to meet Allie. We are cousins. Got it? Not kissing cousins.” 

“Got it!” Tobin laughs, following her out and locking the door. 

 

 

“You don’t have an accent,” Allie comments to Tobin after introductions are made. 

Tobin shoots a good natured look at Alex, who looks frozen, then turns to Allie, “She said I was from Alabama, didn’t she?” Allie nods as Tobin laughs. 

“I was born in Alabama, but my family moved to New Jersey when I was a baby and I grew up there.” She elbows Alex, who looks relieved, “This one likes to tease me and say that, so she can call me a redneck.” 

“Oh,” Allie laughs, looking at Alex, “you’re an ass.” 

“This ass has to go,” Alex says, “Nadine called me, Major cut his leg.” 

“Ooh, is it bad?” Allie asks, instantly concerned. 

“It’s not bleeding anymore but she’s concerned and Mrs. H. is _very_ concerned.” Alex grabs Tobin’s right arm and leads her towards the garage door. “I’m not sure  
when we’ll be back.” 

“I’ll lock up, no worries.” Allie waves them away. 

“Nice meeting you, Allie!” Tobin calls as she’s led out the door. 

“You too!” she yells back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to come together, Alex and Tobin are sharing their feelings for each other, but will Tobin be able to break away from the wolf pack? Can Alex treat her condition? Does Tobin truly feel hopeful about her situation? Is Allie off the hook as a suspect? 
> 
> Rest assured, updates should be every other day. I won't leave y'all hanging for long. 
> 
>  
> 
> Okay, so now that we've had a day or two to digest the Thorns victory, what are your opinons of Allie Long? Doe any of you think she left Portland on bad terms, maybe some issues with teammates? Kling would be a great example. There's a whole lot of chatter about it, what are your opinions? Also, people were mentioning Allie coming in with hard hit on Tobin. I didn't see it, when did it happen? 
> 
> I'm just really wondering if people are just trying to stir the pot and be dramatic. Thoughts?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn Tobin has a talent with animals. Tobin meets with Hope and Kelley with the expectation she can make a clean, professional break from the wolf pack. Allie busts Tobin and Alex for actually being a couple. 
> 
> Sexy times ensue.

Tuesday, September 12th   
1st Day of Last Quarter Moon 

 

As they pull out of the lot, Alex notices Tobin looking around the interior. 

“What?” she questions. 

“You hit me with this thing?” Tobin asks. 

“Yeah,” Alex replies as she puts on some sunglasses for the afternoon glare. 

“Woah,” Tobin whispers, shaking her head. 

“You were lucky,” Alex nods her head. 

“I’d say so,” Tobin agrees, her left hand touching the top of Alex’s as her cast rests on the center console. Alex shifts her hand and she takes Tobin’s in hers and looks up, seeing Tobin smiling as she watches the scenery. 

 

After introducing Tobin to Nadine and Mrs. H., the four of them are near the fence of the outdoor paddock. A honey brown stallion with a long black mane trots around, angrily whinnying and pawing at the ground. 

“Ideally I’d like to treat him in his stall,” Alex comments, “but he looks really riled up.” 

“I know,” Nadine laments, “I don’t know what has gotten into him.” 

“He runs away when we approach,” Mrs. H. says, leaning against the fence rail. “I don’t want him to hurt himself worse.” 

Alex sees Tobin shiver, her coat is open, her arm in the sling still underneath. 

“Hey, Lex?” Tobin questions, “would you, ah, snap up my jacket a little?” 

“Sure,” Alex agrees, turning to do the task. 

“So, his name is Major, right?” Tobin questions, as Alex nods, “And you want him to go to the stable?” 

“Yeah, why?” Alex replies with a question of her own. 

Tobin slowly bends under the fence rail, “Let me go talk to him,” she says confidently, “horses like me.” 

“Tobin, I don’t think” Alex starts, watching as Tobin casually walks towards the upset horse. 

She turns back, waving her right hand, “I got this, relax,” she says confidently. 

“Hey, dude,” Tobin greets, walking slowly and stopping about ten feet away. She about fifteen feet from the other women, who are looking on with concern. 

“Does she know what she’s doing?” Nadine hisses at Alex who shrugs in reply. 

“Just watch,” Mrs. H. says, now putting a foot up on the lower railing of the fence. 

Alex watches stiffly, fearful the horse will charge or kick at Tobin. 

Tobin shoves her right hand in her pocket, just casually standing there, looking at the horse as it begins to settle a little. 

“My name’s Tobin,” she says, her voice calm and neutral, she cocks her head to the side where the woman are gathered, “they tell me your name is Major.” 

The horse lets out a loud snort and whinny, pacing and warily eying Tobin. 

“I see you hurt your leg,” Tobin continues easily, “would you mind if I take a look at it?” 

The horse rears up on it’s hind legs, bellowing. 

“Dude, I just want to look,” Tobin replies, “I won’t touch it. I promise.” 

The horse stops moving, looking at Tobin. Alex fears it will dash at her and knock her over or something. Terrible scenarios are running through her head. 

“Just let me see if it’s bleeding,” Tobin compromises, “would that be okay?” 

The horse lowers its head and takes a step toward her. Tobin takes a couple of slow steps as well. She bends over a little, looking at the leg. 

“Bro, that looks kind of bad,” Tobin says as she takes another step. “You should have that get looked at.” 

The horse responds with a loud whinny. 

“It won’t hurt, I promise,” Tobin says, now standing next to the animal. “Do you know Dr. Morgan over there?” 

The horse nods. All three women at the fence gasp. 

“What the fuck!” Nadine swears quietly, her accented voice tinged with amazement. 

Mrs. H. smiles wide, “She’s a horse whisperer,” she says, nudging Alex. 

Alex is dumbstruck. 

Soon Tobin is petting Major, stroking the side of his head as he snickers, speaking softly to him as she slowly walks him towards the gate of the paddock. 

“Uh, where to?” Tobin questions, loosely holding on to his halter. 

They all walk to the stable in silence, nobody wanting to break the spell. 

Major stops as soon as they enter. 

“Was he in a different stall today?” Tobin asks Nadine. She nods, her eyes wide, “Yes, over there.” 

“That’s not his own place, right?” Tobin confirms, 

“No, we were mucking out his stall and doing repairs.” Nadine explains. 

“You should check that one,” Tobin suggests, “he cut himself in there.” 

Mrs. H.’s eyebrows raise and she gestures to one of the workers nearby and speaks quietly to them, pointing at the stall. Nadine is muttering in German. 

They lead Major into his stall, he snickers as he eats some straw. He whinnies loudly when he sees Alex with a needle and Tobin gently asks Alex to explain what she’s doing and   
how would it make Major feel. 

Alex speaks quietly, explaining how the shot would just be spread in the wound to freeze it so she could clean it and stitch him up. Major settles down and doesn’t flinch when Alex goes to work. Tobin asks her what she’s doing along the way, curious herself as how Alex treats the wound. 

When Alex is done, she steps out of the stall and Tobin says goodbye to the horse, Major nuzzling her as she pats his side. Tobin takes one of Alex’s gear bags, slinging it over her right shoulder. 

“You have a gift, young lady,” Mrs. Harrison states, smiling at Tobin. 

Tobin shrugs, “Ah, animals just seem to like me,” she says shyly, fiddling with the gear bag strap. 

“Well, thank you,” she extends her hand to Tobin, shaking it, “you helped us tremendously with him.” 

“Glad to do it,” Tobin nods, “he’s a cool horse.” 

“It was nice to meet you both,” she nods to Mrs. H. and shakes Nadine’s hand. Nadine just nods, speechless, as she looks at Tobin as if she’s seen a ghost. 

Alex says her goodbyes as well and lifts her gear bag up, carrying as the two leave the stable in a comfortable silence. 

They get in the truck and Tobin looks over at her, a worried expression on her face, “I didn’t overstep back there, did I? I didn’t mean to, like, take over or anything.” She says quickly.

“No, no,” Alex says as she buckles her seatbelt, she then reaches over and lays her hand on Tobin’s cast, “it was fine. Great even.” 

She starts her truck, putting it in gear and pulling out over the stable parking area. 

“You may not know just how helpful it was,” Alex explains as she turns onto the two lane road, “upset horses can be very difficult to deal with. I’ve had to have ranch hands help and noose them and fight them and get them to the ground to be looked at when they get all worked up. That was amazing.” 

“Major is a pretty important horse,” Alex says as she concentrates on the road, “his stud fee is over two hundred thousand dollars.” 

“Stud fee?” Tobin questions. 

“Yeah, to sire baby horses.” Alex explains. 

“Oh,” Tobin says, “ _Oh!_ ” She nods. 

She shakes her head, “Wow.” 

“Have you always had a way with horses?” Alex asks as they continue down the road. 

“Animals have just always seem to like me,” Tobin shrugs, “I don’t know, even as a kid.” 

“Eh,” Tobin grins at her, “must be my animal magnetism.” 

Alex shakes her head, “Dorkball,” she laughs. 

 

“You’re back quick,” Allie comments from the desk as Alex and Tobin walk in. 

“Yeah,” Alex says as she grabs a notepad and starts to write down the supplies she used and how long the visit took. “Major was pretty good about it.” She’s not exactly sure how to tell Allie that Tobin is so phenomenal with horses without completely gushing over her. 

“You know,” Allie sighs, watching Alex write up the invoice, “I’ve been telling you they make software for that.” 

“We have the software,” Alex says as she writes, “it’s just here, not with me in the field.” 

“I bet you could link it to your phone or an iPad,” Tobin shrugs as she leans against the wall. 

“Done,” Alex states, sliding the notepad to Allie. 

“I’ll take care if this tomorrow, okay?” Allie asks, getting up from her chair, “I’ve already shut down the computer.” 

“Yeah, no problem,” Alex nods, “have a good night.” 

“I’m reminding you about inventory.” Allie says as she reaches for coat and purse, “I need to place that order this week.” 

“Ugh!” Alex rolls her eyes, “I forgot, I’ll get on it.” 

“You better!” Allie grins, “I’ll see you guys later,”

“Have a good night.” Alex say, locking the door behind her. 

“You know,” Tobin says, “if you want, I could look into the app for the computer and also see about a barcode scanner. Then you could just scan what you use on site as you have the work order up. You could make the invoice right there and it would take it out of inventory.” 

“Really?” Alex asks, gesturing for Tobin to follow her to an exam room. “Sit down,” she points to the swivel chair in the room. 

“They make stuff like that?” she asks as she gets out a scissors and a hemostat. “Is it expensive?” 

“I’ll check it out,” Tobin offers, “My researching is nearly complete, I’ll have time.” 

“That would be incredible,” Alex murmurs as she nears Tobin, hemostat raised. 

Tobin reaches out to grab her wrist firmly and stop her from getting any closer. “Any chance I’ll bleed doing this?” 

“No,” Alex shakes her head, “the wound is closed, zero chance.” She looks and sees how serious Tobin is looking at her. “Why?” 

“My, uh, condition is transmitted by blood.” Tobin informs her, “So I try to be extra cautious.” 

“Ah,” Alex nods, “I see.” Tobin lets go of her arm, “Well,” Alex says, “this is simple, it might pull a little but if something leaks, I’ll glove up, okay?” 

“Thanks,” Tobin nods. 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Alex inquires as she concentrates on removing the stitches. 

“Of course,” Tobin replies. 

“Do you know Latin really well?” Alex asks, pulling out a stitch. 

Tobin winces a little, “Um, I was in Latin Club my senior year of high school,” Tobin grins, “but I usually use Google Translate.” 

“Oh,” Alex nods, “I was just curious.” 

The stitches come out quickly and easily and soon Tobin and Alex are back at the house. 

 

“I hope you like pork,” Tobin states as she shuts off the crockpot. 

“Totally.” Alex confirms, handing her the plates. “Would you like a glass of wine?” 

The two enjoy dinner, talking about a variety of subjects, mostly about their favorite hobbies and activities, finding many they both share. Their conversations flow seamlessly, never interrupted by pauses or awkward moments. After they eat and the dishes are and the kitchen is cleaned up, Tobin goes back to her laptop, checking emails and following up on a couple of leads Hope had sent her about a few individuals. 

Alex reads Tobin’s notes and references about stem cell use, making her own notes in her notepad, getting some ideas. 

They’re both on the couch, Tobin in the corner, Alex next to her, their feet propped up on the ottoman. Tobin shuts down her laptop first, rubbing at her eyes, yawning. 

“You can go to bed,” Alex comments, looking up from the papers she’s reading. 

“I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a little,” Tobin says, slouching down into the couch a bit.

Alex looks over not even two minutes later and sees Tobin is out. She smiles, thinking the fresh air might have done Tobin in today. 

She finishes reading the journal paper, nodding her head and nudges Tobin awake. They both get up and prepare for bed, agreeing that today was a good day. 

 

 

Friday, September 15th   
1st Day of Waxing Crescent Moon 

 

“Ideally, we could use more cabinets or shelves in here,” Allie laments as she surveys the inventory room. 

“Well,” Tobin says, “I’m kind of handy, I could put some up or something.” 

Tobin had been coming by the clinic in the afternoons, working with Allie with the software and finding the options that might work for them. Tobin’s been feeling much better, her ribs aren’t as sore anymore, so she’s itching to stay busy. 

Alex has been in and out of the office, she’s had multiple calls sending her to different stables. At the end of the last couple of days, Allie and Tobin would inform her of what they learned and what they think would work best. 

Alex suggested that if they were going to go wireless like this, they should do it all the way and do the barcode scanning as well. That prompted Allie on insisting the supply room be reorganized. 

 

“I just think we need to put the supplies together that makes sense, you know?” Allie states, “I would want the dog stuff together, cat stuff together, the horse stuff is the biggest, so it should all be together.” 

“Makes sense to me and then the all of the meds would be locked up?” Tobin asks, scanning the room. 

“Just the narcotics.” Allie replies. 

“Hey,” Alex greets, coming in from the side door, “how’s it going?” 

“We need more cabinets. And shelves.” Allie states by way of a greeting. 

Tobin smiles at Alex, “Hi,” 

“Hi,” Alex smiles back. She looks at Allie. “I was thinking about that.” She says, setting her purse down on the counter. “I’m pretty sure there’s some rolling racks in the barn. There are cabinets in there as well. We could have someone come in and hang them.” 

“Yay!” Allie claps her hands together in excitement. “That would be awesome!” 

“Lex,” Tobin says, “I could hang them, no problem.” 

“Really? You’re like, handy and stuff?” Alex asks, looking surprised. 

“Yeah, a little bit.” Tobin shrugs, “I did some construction stuff with my Dad on and off for years,” 

“Oh, that’s right,” Alex nods, “I forgot about that, I thought you were always playing soccer.” 

“I’m pretty well rounded,” Tobin smirks at her. 

“Okay!” Allie announces, eying the two as she breaks up their little moment, “Tobin and I will take care of this. You just foot the bill.” 

“What?” Alex asks, looking at her as if she has three heads. “No way!” 

“Yes!” Allie insists, “You’ve got that look again,” she says, “you’re reading all the time, totally distracted. I know you’re thinking about another paper or a new procedure you want to try.” 

“Well,” Alex hesitates, knowing that if Allie thinks that, she’ll be able to keep her cover of researching treatment methods for Tobin. 

“How about we run everything by you first? You already know around what the computer stuff will cost, so this is just for incidentals, some hardware, anything we might need to buy to fix the supply room up.” Tobin offers. 

“How about you and I go through the barn this weekend and see what we can use and then you and Allie figure it all out?” Alex counter offers. 

“I’m all for it if I don’t have to go in the barn,” Allie announces, she turns to Tobin, “it’s dirty.” 

Tobin nods, then looks at Alex. 

“Deal.” Alex smiles at the two of them. 

And that was how they fell onto an easy routine. Each day, Alex would leave for work, either to a call or the clinic, Tobin would do her wolf pack responsibilities, then after lunch or early afternoon she would come by the clinic, helping with the supply room, cleaning or generally taking care of anything that needed fixing. 

She’d then go back to the house and get dinner started, then attack some small little project in Alex’s house. Finding some paint and touching up worn areas, cleaning the windows, doing laundry. 

Her and Alex were getting along wonderfully, making out on the couch most nights, neither ready to let it escalate into anything more. They had long talks about past relationships, their families and most importantly, a game plan. 

Tobin knew she could use her computer knowledge to leverage Hope into letting her leave. It was complicated, but she knew she could ruin every member financially, hacking into bank accounts. On larger scale, she could erase all of the software she’d created to assist them in the research that needed to be done on the covens. 

She would need to protect herself and not give in to Hope’s alpha control. That would be the hardest part. 

 

Alex had collected a wealth of information on the possibilities of using stem cells to treat Tobin’s condition. The first step would be chemotherapy to try and eradicate the wolf cells. It would require taking a few biopsies on Tobin from her thyroid, thymus and adrenal glands as a human and see if they were altered from the bite she suffered. The plan would be to biopsy those similar glands when she was a wolf. 

From there they could make a plan of attack. They could do the biopsies on her soon, but they’d have to wait for the next full moon for the next phase to occur. 

At the end of the week, the two have Allie and Bati over for dinner, having a fun night, Tobin clicking instantly with Bati’s sense of humor. 

 

Saturday, September 23rd   
2nd Day of the Waxing Crescent Moon 

 

“You’re positive you want to do this?” Alex asks Tobin one more time. 

Tobin nods determinedly, “I need to present this to them now,” she says, “while I’ve still got the nerve.” She’s running her hands along her thighs, letting her jeans dry off her   
sweaty palms. 

Not two minutes later, the doorbell rings, Tobin opening the door to greet Hope and Kelley. 

She ushers them to the kitchen table where Alex is already seated. The two give Alex a subdued greeting, curiously looking her. Alex nods back, letting her hands fall to her lap, feeling the weight of her gun in the pocket of her hoodie. She didn’t tell Tobin she had it with her, not wanting to freak her out. She felt more secure just having it with her. 

“Thanks for coming here,” Tobin says, opening her laptop, “I’d like to discuss something with the two of you.” She looks at them over the screen. 

“We’re listening,” Hope says, her voice mild. Kelley sits beside her, eying Alex and the room before settling her gaze on Tobin. 

Tobin looks across the table at them, then sighs, “I think it’s pretty apparent that I’m not cut out for the werewolf life,” she begins, “you know it’s been slowly killing me.”   
Hope nods, Kelley drops her eyes to the table. 

“I’d like to respectfully resign from going out with the pack each full moon.” Tobin states, sitting straight in her chair, “I’d still work for you, if you wanted,” she says, “I mean, I was doing the same thing for the Alumni before you,” she stops, biting her lip, then continues, “before we met and then I started working for you.” She swallows, trying her best to steady her nerves. 

“Alex,” she looks over at her, reaching to take her hand and hold it in her own, “Alex has offered to sedate me through the transformations,” she explains, “and I need to continue finding some way around these migraines.” 

“Let me guess,” Kelley interrupts, “you let her into your pants, you’re now in love and you want to live happily” 

Hope silences her with a hard elbow to her bicep. “Ow!” Kelley glares at her, rubbing her arm. 

“I’m listening,” Hope nods at Tobin. 

Tobin lets out the breath she was holding. “Um,” she says, nervously, trying to concentrate and follow her train of thought. Kelley interrupting her had thrown her off her prepared words. The three witness Tobin beginning to unravel and Alex is starting to worry when Hope suddenly leans forward. 

“Tobin,” she says gently, “I know we really got off on the wrong foot,” she begins, “but I’m not a cold hearted monster. I know the pain you’ve suffered and how it’s affected you. I know I’m part of the reason for some of the feelings you have.” She leans back in her seat. 

“Let’s agree to you not going out with the pack,” Hope offers, “you will still perform your duties, although you need not travel with us anymore. Everything you do is through computers, so it wouldn’t make sense.” She raises a finger and points it at Tobin, “No slacking off.” 

Tobin nods quickly, “I won’t.” 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kelley once again interrupts, standing and pushing her chair back, “why are you agreeing to this so easily? Huh?” 

Hope looks at her calmly, “Because Kel,” she says, looking at Tobin softly, “Tobin is vital to our pack. We know she was planning to kill herself and that is something we won’t likely be able to stop. If being here with Alex is going to keep her happy, then I am all for it. If she’s wiling to complete her responsibilities to us, I don’t see a problem.” She looks at Alex, “Plus, Alex here, has a gun on us and I have no doubt she would shoot both of us without hesitation.” 

Alex’s mouth drops open in surprise. 

Hope gives her a thin smile, “I can smell the gun oil and I heard you click the safety off.” She stands up from the table. “Tobin, I give you my word that I will not summon you during the moon phase and I will direct the pack to follow that order. Unless it’s truly an emergency. I won’t be able to help that.” She faces Alex, “I trust you will not reveal our secrets.” 

Alex nods then speaks up, “What about the threat to harming Tobin’s family?” 

Hope looks at her shrewdly, nodding slightly, perhaps with approval. “That will remain in place for the next few moon cycles while we’re here. We’ll call it a probation period.” 

Hope shakes Tobin hand. “I know you can bring down our entire operation with a few clicks of your computer.” She states factually, “I believe you probably have that in place right now, to use as leverage, even in the event of your death. I’m going on your word you will hold up your end of the deal and I will mine. We’ll meet again before we leave and review how this new arrangement is working out. Deal?” 

“Deal!” Tobin nods, “Thank you for being so understanding.” 

Hope just nods, “We’ll be in touch.” 

Tobin follows Hope and Kelley to the door, shutting it behind them and then leaning against it. She looks at Alex in amazement. Then she starts to shake, bringing her hands to face as she begins to cry. 

Alex holds her for long time, not speaking, just letting the flood of emotions pour from her. 

An hour later, as they eat dinner, Tobin looks at Alex, smirking. 

“What?” Alex questions, looking at her expectantly. 

“I think it’s hot that Hope is scared of you.” Tobin admits. 

Alex just arches an eyebrow at her, “I am a little unpredictable.” 

Tobin smiles, “I know, I like that a lot.” 

 

 

Tuesday, September 26th   
1st Day of First Quarter Moon 

 

“We have a problem,” Alex smirks at Tobin as she slides in bed, snuggling close to her. 

“Oh? What is that?” Tobin looks up from her book. 

“Allie thinks we’re sleeping together.” Alex says, leaning her head against her hand as she lays on her side. 

“Well,” Tobin grins, gesturing to them, “we kinda are.” 

“How do we tell her?” Alex asks, sliding closer and resting her hand on Tobin’s stomach over the covers. 

“Well,” Tobin turns and sets her book down on the nightstand, removes her glasses and clicks off the light. She snuggles down close to Alex, “the truth is not an option.” 

“I know that,” Alex chuckles, “what else could we tell her that _would_ be believable?” 

“We met online?” Tobin suggests. 

“Hm,” Alex murmurs, “that might work.” 

“Yeah, and maybe you thought it was, like, weird and you weren’t sure but now you are and that’s why I was your cousin.” Tobin offers. 

“What do you mean weird?” Alex asks as she rubs light circles on Tobin’s stomach, each circle growing just a little wider, nearing her chest. 

“Ah,” Tobin utters, distracted by the sensation, “like, that we met online? Or that I’m staying here? I don’t know how you would feel about that.” 

“Eh,” Alex shrugs, “I’m cool with that, my friend Christen met her wife Julie online.” She moves her hand under the covers and begins to rake her nails on Tobin’s abdomen over her shirt, “How long have we been talking?” 

“S-six, weeks?” Tobin offers, her eyes fluttering close at her touch. 

“And the rest?” Alex asks, leaning in closer to her. 

“The what?” Tobin struggles to speak. 

“What about the rest of the story?” Alex asks, her voice low and raspy, “Why are you here?” 

“Let’s keep it the same as before,” Tobin says, slowly opening her eyes, they’re blazing at Alex with lust. 

“Sounds good,” Alex replies, her eyes blazing back at Tobin. She removes her hand from under Tobin’s shirt, grabbing the comforter and flicking it off her. She feels Tobin kicking at it to get it off her legs and feet. 

Alex slides over to straddle Tobin, looking down at her with affection and want. She dips in to kiss her, her hands next to Tobin’s head, planted on the mattress. She feels Tobin’s hands slide up to her sides, holding her steady. Their tongues twist as explore each other, both tasting the trace of mint of their toothpaste mixed with their own unique flavor. 

Tobin moans into her mouth, her hands leaving Alex’s sides and finding her ass, squeezing it firmly, pressing her closer against her. Alex breaks their kiss, moaning as her head rears back, regretting the loss of Tobin’s hands on her ass, giving her that delicious pressure against their cores. 

She feels Tobin’s thin fingers slowly moving up under her shirt, she arches her back, bending closer, humming as Tobin cups her breasts. A smile appears on her face as Tobin slowly squeezes them, softly, rhythmically. 

She opens her eyes, seeing Tobin looking at her, her face flushed, a mix of hunger and wonder about her. She raises an eyebrow at her as she tugs on her shirt, silently asking permission. Alex reaches for the hem, pulling it off, hearing Tobin softly swear under her breath as she gazes at her. 

Tobin sits up, bringing her mouth to one of Alex’s breasts, the tip of her tongue flicking against her nipple, hardening it instantly between the touch and the cool room’s temperature. Alex quickly rids Tobin of her shirt, her hands finding her breasts, holding them, compressing them under her fingers. 

Alex lets her head fall forward next to Tobin’s, leaning in and using her nose to nudge away Tobin’s hair, finding the soft skin just below her ear and sucking softly. Tobin lets out a downright vulgar groan, her hips twitching under Alex, her teeth raking against her nipple. 

They both look at each other. 

“You sure?” Tobin pants, looking at her questioningly. 

Alex nods, “I want you.” 

Tobin gives her this smile, her eyes fiery with passion and emotion, brimming with this, this just, happiness. Alex squeals as Tobin suddenly flips their positions, Tobin now looking victorious down on Alex, leaning forward to kiss her passionately. It’s a whole new sensation to Alex, it’s hard and deep, urgent and needy. 

She responds just as excitedly, raking her nails across Tobin’s muscular back. 

Tobin soon moves back, crawling down on her knees, hooking the elastic of Alex’s shorts and underwear, Alex nodding as she slowly slides them off. 

Tobin lays forward, her mouth attached on Alex’s breast again, sucking and biting gently at it, Alex feeling as Tobin’s strong hands spread her legs, massaging her thighs, making Alex’s hips move on their own volition. The fleeting thought of being glad she removed Tobin’s cast today passes through her mind as she groans, eagerly anticipating Tobin’s touch. 

Tobin trails her head down Alex’s stomach, her tongue licking and her mouth finding these places to suck while her hands still spread her wider, opening herself up to her. Tobin gets to her pelvis, nudging through Alex’s soft hair with her nose, inhaling her intoxicating scent. 

Alex’s hips rise as Tobin uses two to fingers to spread her apart, opening her fully, moaning as her tongue takes a slow swipe through Alex’s wet center. 

“Oh, yes!” Alex cries out, her hands moving to the sides of Tobin’s head, her fingers fisting her hair. Tobin keeps massaging her thighs as she works her core, lapping and licking, dipping her tongue into her, fucking her steadily. Alex’s hips set the motion, Tobin moving accordingly, slowly alternating between tonguing her and licking her clit. 

“Oh, God!” Alex moans out as she feels the tingling building, that sweet sensation beginning to rip through her body.

As her whines and moans increase and get louder, Tobin begins to focus on her clit, rapidly swirling her tongue around it, then sucking on it, twirling her tongue as she firmly holds it with her lips. Tobin can’t get enough of her, her taste, the sounds she’s making, it’s nearly sending her over the edge herself.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Alex moans out, her hands leaving Tobin’s head, gripping the sheets tightly as her climax washes over her, hips bucking, a high pitched keening leaving her with every exhale. Tobin slows her ministrations as Alex comes down. 

She sticks her head up, looking on with satisfaction and wonder as Alex moans once more. They’re both panting, flushed from their exertions. Alex grabs Tobin’s left hand, knowing her fingers are soaked with her juices, pulling her up close, Tobin hovering over her, kneeling over her stomach and leaning on her right elbow.

Tobin watches with wide eyes, her mouth dropping open as Alex slides Tobin’s index finger into her mouth, sucking on it, tasting herself. Alex takes her hand, pulling her close, kissing her kissing hard. 

In the back of her mind, Alex had thought she would be exhausted and spent and content after having her first orgasm at the hand of someone other than herself in nearly eighteen months. She was wrong, so wrong. She wanted Tobin, now. The hunger, the want, the need to taste and feel her was kicking in so hard it surprised her. 

She pushes on Tobin’s shoulder gently, Tobin falling easily on her back as Alex slides next to her, her hand on Tobin’s breast, her mouth on her neck. Alex is all kinds of hungry, slipping her hand from Tobin’s chest, nails raking across her stomach, shoving it under the waistband of Tobin’s shorts and underwear. 

Alex’s lips meet Tobin’s and she crashes into her, kissing her fiercely, insistently plunging her tongue into her mouth, twisting it and sucking. Tobin moans into her as Alex moves her fingers down through the scant soft hair, seeking the wetness, slipping two fingers down to slide through her slit. 

Alex brings her left hand up to the back of Tobin’s head, taking hold of her hair, tugging it aggressively, making Tobin extend her neck as her lips kiss the hot skin, nipping at it, sucking hard on it, settling in to feast on her at the base near her collarbone. 

“Lex!” Tobin lets out a strangled cry, her hips moving, matching the fast pace. Alex is rocking against her, her two fingers sliding into her, pushing deep, curling as she pulls back. 

“Yes, yes,” Tobin moans, her hands finding Alex’s waist, gripping it tightly, her eyes clamped shut, her breathing ragged. 

Alex increases her pace to a frenzy, in and out, in and out, Tobin’s cries of pleasure intoxicating her. She feels how Tobin’s hip snap, her legs twitching and convulsing as she pants loudly. It’s addicting. 

As Tobin’s voice pitches higher, her cries more prolonged, her movements jerking against her, Alex removes her soaking fingers, using two to circle her clit at a frenetic pace. 

“Oh God!” Tobin cries, her hips rising from the mattress, “Oh, Gaa” her head snaps forward, her chin hitting her chest. She becomes rigid, frozen in place, then collapses with a loud groan. 

Alex twists her fingers, wiping them in the fabric of Tobin’s underwear, slowly removing her hand. Her eyes are Tobin, who’s exhaling loudly, her breath choppy, eyes still shut tightly. She lays next to her, a hand on her chest, feeling the uneven rise and fall as Tobin struggles to catch her breath. 

They’re both drenched in sweat, slick against each other. 

“Holy fuck,” Tobin pants, “that was…” she swallows as she tries to gain her breath back. Her heart beating wildly in her chest. 

“Glad your ribs are healed, huh, champ?” Alex asks playfully, smiling at her. 

Tobin turns her head to look at her, eyes wide. “That was… so intense,” she says, sliding an arm out to run her fingers through Alex’s sweaty hair. 

“It wasn’t too much?” Alex asks, suddenly uncertain if she was too harsh with her.

Tobin smirks at her, her breathing settling down, “No,” she says, “I like it a little rough like that.” 

“You bring out the animal in me,” Alex teases, kissing her lips softly. 

“Must be my animal magnetism,” Tobin laughs. 

“You ass!” Alex laughs at her. 

“Hey,” Tobin says suddenly, pulling her close, “so, do you, uh, do this with your real cousins or what?” she teases her. 

Alex laughs, pulling back to slap Tobin’s upper arm lightly, “No!” she says, shaking her head, “Just the fake ones from Alabama, Dorkball!” 

She snuggles close to her, not caring that she’s so sweaty, feeling safe in Tobin’s arms. She feels Tobin press a kiss to her temple, finding it so sweet and endearing. This soft touch of emotion that conveys what can’t be put into words. She sighs as the endorphins slowly recede from the rush of minutes ago. 

 

They find each other again in the night and then once more, just as the sun comes up. When Alex’s alarm goes off in the morning, she texts Allie as Tobin sleeps, telling her she’ll be a little late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the positive vibes, comments and kudos. Motivating and much appreciated. 
> 
> Updates will most likely be every other day, sometimes faster. 
> 
>  
> 
> Who are we rooting for? Chicago or NC?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin and Alex go and visit Major, Tobin spooking Nadine even more with her horse whisperer ways and Alex spending time with Mrs. H..
> 
> Tobin assists and encourages Alex to finally begin going through her sister Jeri's belongings, shedding some tears and some laughs. 
> 
> They go out with Bati and Allie to Glenn's for drinks and karaoke, things get a little hot for Tobin and Alex.

.

 

Friday, September 29th  
Last Day of First Quarter Moon

 

 

“Ah!” Tobin groans, doing her best to stay still. 

“Sorry!” Alex squeaks as she draws the long needle out slowly. 

“It’s okay,” Tobin pants, her hands gripping the sides of the exam table. 

“That was the last one.” Alex says, capping the tube shut and marking it. She unwraps a bandage and places it on her upper stomach. 

“Good,” Tobin says, giving her a wry smile, “that kinda sucked.” 

Alex leans over and places a kiss on her lips, “I’m sorry,” 

“I know,” Tobin says, kissing her back, then sitting up on the table and putting her long-sleeved shirt on. 

The plan was for Alex to take the biopsy samples from Tobin’s adrenal and lymphatic glands, study them for abnormalities and then biopsy her as a wolf. After she compared slides, she would come up with a treatment plan. 

“So, Allie says she totally knew something was going on,” Alex informs her, swatting Tobin’s hand away and buttoning her shirt for her.

“Really?” Tobin questions, “How?” 

“Apparently I look at you as if I’m undressing you with my eyes,” Alex says, laying the collar flat on Tobin’s shirt, “and she said you look at me like an adoring puppy waiting for a treat.” 

Tobin laughs, “That’s hilarious,” she says, watching as Alex cleans up the items she used, tossing away the garbage. 

“Not to completely change the subject, but can I ask you something?” Tobin asks seriously as she fiddles with her shirt cuff. 

“You know you can,” Alex smiles back at her. 

“Why is the barn empty?” Tobin looks up at her expectantly. 

“It was Jeri’s thing,” Alex explains, “she offered boarding, kept overnight patients there, had some trainers come in and offered lessons. With it just being me, I couldn’t handle it, I just started doing more house calls, I couldn’t keep it up.” Part of Alex just can’t believe how easy it was to tell Tobin this. Talking to her, even about difficult things is comfortable. 

Tobin nods. 

“I haven’t gotten rid of anything of her things yet,” Alex says quietly, “it’s been almost a year,” she sighs, scrunching her mouth in a frown. 

Tobin reaches out, pulling in Alex in between her legs, her hands resting on her hips. She looks up at her, “It’s hard,” she says, “real hard. After Katie died, we helped Tom, her husband, go through her stuff. It was awful. I felt like we were erasing her existence or something.” 

Tobin squeezes her legs around her, drawing her closer. “But then,” she says, “I started thinking of all of the memories, the photos, the great times.” 

Alex sniffs and nods at her, feeling the tears build, willing them not to fall. 

“I kept some of her things,” she picks at her shirt, “this is hers. It comforts me. I know she’ll never be gone from my heart. She’s always with me.” 

“My Mom keeps asking me if she can come and help,” Alex says quietly, “Jen does too, she says it’s time.” 

Tobin gives her a sweet smile, “I’m sure they’re just worried about you,” she shrugs, “my Mom and Dad and Perry are. The fact that I’ve distanced myself from them doesn’t help. But,” she rubs Alex’s upper arm, “grief doesn’t have a timeline. There’s no ‘in ninety days you’ll feel better.’ It’s personal. It’s deep. You’ll know when it’s time.” She squeezes her arm, “You’ll feel it.” 

Alex leans in and wraps her arms around Tobin, holding her tight, “Thank you,” she whispers, “thank you for being real about it, for not sugar coating it.” 

Tobin kisses her temple. “I’ll always be honest with you.” She feels Alex relax against her. 

“Maybe it’s time.” She says softly, pulling away from Tobin and looking at her. “You can’t keep living out of your bags.” 

“Baby steps,” Tobin replies, “do a little and see how you feel. I can go and hide out somewhere for a few days if you want your Mom and sister here.” 

Alex nods, “I’ll think about it, okay?” She kisses Tobin. 

“Okay,” Tobin grins. 

 

 

Saturday, September 30th  
1st Day of Waxing Gibbous Moon 

 

 

When Alex wakes alone, she shakes her and slowly gets out of the bed. She finds Tobin, in the kitchen, on her knees, her head and upper torso in the open oven. 

“Uh, good morning?” Alex questions, cocking an eyebrow at her. 

Tobin pulls out to look up at her, “Morning,” she grins, “how’d you sleep?” 

“Just fine,” Alex replies, eying her suspiciously, “what are you doing?” 

“Well,” Tobin drawls, leaning back on her heels, “I made a breakfast bake this morning and then thought it would be a good idea to clean the oven,” she grins at her. 

Alex calculates the time to make the breakfast, heat the oven and cook it and the time to let the oven cool down. “What time did you get up?” 

Tobin scratches her the back of her neck, scrunching her face as she thinks, “Like, four something?” 

“Tobin!” Alex exclaims, putting a hand on her hip. 

“I know,” Tobin nods, “I’ll nap in a bit,” she says, giving her a bashful smile, “I can’t help it,” she shrugs. 

“This is what you were talking about last night?” Alex questions, “This is how you get with this moon phase?” 

Tobin nods, reaching into the oven and grabbing her scrubby and the oven spray. She stands up and wets a rag down, twisting the excess water from it, then kneels to wipe down the inside of the oven. 

Tobin had informed Alex last night that when the moon entered into the waxing gibbous phase, she would get a little hyper. And horny. She’d need to be busy, constantly keeping moving. She hated how manic it made her feel and that’s why she had the edibles. It mellowed her out to a more acceptable level and the THC candy allowed her to relax. 

Alex smiles as she thought how cautiously Tobin asked her if she minded if she got a little stoned, just to take the edge off. Alex could tell she was super nervous about it, her eyes darting around, hands fidgeting. 

Alex just laughed at her, explaining to her that she grew up in California, pot wasn’t a big deal to her. She had smoked before, not doing it much anymore. She didn’t mind at all, especially if it helped Tobin through the moon cycle. 

Alex walks over Tobin’s legs to the coffee machine, selecting a cup from the drawer and inserting it. Once her coffee is prepared to her liking, she sits at the kitchen table, yawning. 

Tobin pops up and opens the fridge, taking two plates out and inserting one in the microwave. She sets it front of Alex, leaning forward to kiss her sleepy lips. 

“Thank you,” Alex smiles at her, “I think I like this moon phase.” 

Tobin lets out a chuckle, pouring herself a glass of milk. She shakes her head, “I bet you won’t be saying that on the last day.” 

“Why?” Alex asks, yawning again. She slept well, just not long enough. They had quite the evening last night, the two pleasing each other into the late hours until exhaustion stopped them. A nap with Tobin would be good. 

They both hear Alex’s phone ring faintly from the bedroom, she had forgotten to bring it with her. Tobin dashes to retrieve it, handing it to her, recognizing that the tone was work.

“Dr. Morgan,” Alex answers, holding back yet another yawn. She listens, nodding as Tobin turns to heat up her plate. 

“Well,” she says, nodding, “that is weird for him.” Listening again. 

“I can come by after breakfast,” she replies, “no, it’s not a problem.” She listens again. “Hang on, I’ll ask.” She takes the phone from her ear, covering the device, “This is Mrs. H.” she tells Tobin, “Major is acting very strange, she was wondering if you’d be willing to, ah, check on him? And maybe a couple of other horses?” 

“If it’s cool with you,” Tobin shrugs. 

“We’ll be there within the hour.” Alex states into her phone, “Of course, it’s not a problem at all.” She cocks her head to listen, “Really?” she smiles, “I can’t wait to see it! Okay, see you soon.” She sets her phone down and picks up her fork, beginning to eat. 

She looks up and sees Tobin looking at her expectantly as she eats. 

“Oh,” Alex shakes her head, “Mrs. H. says thank you and she has a little something for us.” 

Tobin nods as she finishes chewing, “Do you always get gifts from her?” 

“Not usually,” Alex replies, “at Christmas I do,” she stops her fork halfway to her mouth, “I wonder what it could be.”

 

 

When they get to the stables, Nadine leads Tobin off to speak with Major and Alex sits down with Mrs. Harrison in the warm tack room and reviews the account chart with her, seeing who is ready for any vaccines or yearly exams. 

While Mrs. Harrison, a widower for many years, is a powerful figure in the horse world and could come across as being cold and ruthless in business, she was a kind and gentle woman. She had a soft spot for Alex, knowing about her long before ever meeting her from Jeri bragging about her kid sister who would someday be a better vet than she ever was. 

“So, Alex,” Mrs. H. smiles at her before Alex gets ready to start some vaccinations, “how are you and Tobin doing?” 

Alex’s head shoots up from her iPad, looking surprised and slightly terrified. “I, uh, we, um,” she sputters. 

The woman laughs, “It’s fine dear,” she says, reaching over a placing her hand on Alex’s, “it’s not hard to miss how in love you both are.” 

Alex lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, “We haven’t said that to each other yet.” 

Mrs. H. shakes her head, the smile still on her face, “You don’t need to.” She says, standing up, “Come on, let’s make your rounds and you can tell me all about it.” 

Alex feels like a weight has been lifted, she hasn’t spoken to anyone besides Allie about her and Tobin, certainly not her family yet. Talking to Mrs. H., a woman she respects and has grown close to over the years would be a good thing. 

 

Tobin and Nadine stand in front of Major’s stall, speaking softly to the horse as Tobin hands him a carrot to nibble on. Nadine still thinks Tobin has some unworldly power to communicate with horses. 

“Ya gotta just relax,” Tobin says, “ask him questions and see how he reacts. He likes you a lot, you just aren’t seeing how he speaks to you.” 

“You are spooky, Tobin,” Nadine says with a smile, “I will do my best.” 

Tobin tells her that Major would like a ball to kick around, he likes to chase it. That leads to a conversation about soccer. Both grow excited learning they both played for their country’s National Teams. They laugh realizing they were both in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. 

That relaxes Nadine even more and soon she’s feeling more confident in communicating with Major. Tobin does shake her up when she tells her Major would like a fan in his stall because it gets too warm for him. 

 

A couple of hours later after Alex and Mrs. H. check in the horses and Tobin and Nadine speak with a few of them that Nadine has trouble with, they meet up in the tack room for coffee and hot chocolate. 

Mrs. H. hands Alex a cardboard box, explaining they bartered with the next farm over and received some gifts they would like to share. Alex opens it to find jars of homemade jams, spices and some packages of fresh bacon, sausages and a large prime rib roast.

“Mrs. H.!” Alex exclaims, looking up at her. 

“You’re family,” the woman replies warmly, “and we share our good fortune with family.” 

After profusive thanks from Alex and Tobin, who was excited about all of the cooking possibilities, they visited for a bit, and Tobin and Alex depart, Tobin carrying the box and one of Alex’s gear bags. 

On the drive back, Alex notices that Tobin’s growing quiet, her eyes getting heavier, tired from her early morning. They shuffle into the house, taking their jackets off, kicking off their boots and heading to the couch. They nap on the couch, snuggled together under a blanket for a couple of hours. 

After lunch, Alex enters Jeri’s room, standing in front of the open closet. Tobin comes in after a few minutes and hugs her behind, resting her chin on Alex’s shoulder.  
“I don’t know where to start,” Alex says quietly, her voice sounding overwhelmed. 

“Shoes.” Tobin replies, “toss the old ones, set aside the ones to donate and keep anything you think your Mom or sister would like in a separate pile.” 

“My Mom called me on Thursday,” Alex says, leaning back into Tobin’s embrace, “they’re all coming here for Thanksgiving. I think it’s a plan to clean it all out.” 

“Well, then, this just makes it even better,” Tobin holds her a little tighter, “you being able to call her and tell her you got started will set them all at ease a little, I bet.” 

Alex moves her head to look at Tobin, “Will you help?” 

Tobin smiles at her, “Of course.” She says, moving her hand to rub Alex’s forearm, “You’ve got some boxes in the garage, I’ll go get them.” 

Alex gives her a soft smile, “Thank you so much,” she says, “I can do this if you’re here.” 

Tobin nods and leaves her, disappearing from the room. 

Alex looks at the shoes lining the floor, she sighs and then gets down on her knees, beginning the task. 

When Tobin comes back in with three large boxes, she pulls a marker out, carefully and neatly printing the words save and donate and two on them. She intentionally didn’t write trash on the last one, remembering how it made her feel when she helped with her own sister’s belongings. It just seemed insensitive. 

“Would you like me to start the shirts?” Tobin asks quietly, “I can take them off the hangers,” she says, “it will make sorting easier.” 

“Thanks,” Alex murmurs as she picks up a pair of ratty tennis shoes. 

The two work in silence, the soft click of the plastic hangers every time Tobin tosses one more on the pile on the hospital bed. She finishes the shirts in the closet, placing the hangers back in it, then sits next to Alex on the floor. 

Alex holds up a pair of silver strappy heels, tears streaming down her face, “What do I do with these?” she sniffles, pushing them towards Tobin. Tobin takes them from her. 

“They were the shoes we wore when we stood up in Jen’s wedding,” she explains, her voice trembling with emotion, wiping her eyes. 

“You save them,” Tobin says gently, placing them in the proper box, “you save them until you don’t feel like you need to anymore,” she smiles softly at her, Alex leaning against her. Tobin rubs her back, picking up a pair of black sparkly shoes with a much higher heel. “Were these from a special occasion?” 

Alex smiles through her tears, “She called those her hooker heels,” she lets out a laugh, “she couldn’t walk in them and she thought she looked so hot in them. We teased her so bad.” 

Tobin smiles and sets them in the save box. 

“We can get rid of them,” Alex says, wiping at her eyes, “they won’t fit anyone.” 

“Give your Mom and sister something to smile about.” Tobin suggests, shrugging a little. 

In that moment, Alex feels her chest grow warm, overcome with just how incredibly sensitive Tobin is. There’s nothing she could say to convey this feeling to her, Alex thinks, so she just takes Tobin’s hand, raises it to her lips and kisses her knuckles, “Thank you,” she says, leaning forward to press her lips against her. 

Tobin looks at her, giving her a crooked little grin, Alex seeing the sadness in her eyes as well, knowing she’s thinking about her own sister. 

A few more minutes and they’ve finished the shoes, Alex now standing at the bed, Tobin with another box of trash and donations at the ready. 

“Lex?” Tobin calls out, holding up an old iPod. “Was this Jeri’s?” 

Alex nods, “Yeah,” 

“Wanna listen?” Tobin asks, looking at her expectantly. 

“Sure,” Alex shrugs, thinking maybe a little music would soothe her soul as they say. 

Tobin scrolls through it, surprised it still has a charge. Out of the corner of her eye, Alex sees a grin appear on her face as she inserts it into the antiquated docking system. 

“What?” Alex asks, inspecting a shirt. 

“She had a playlist called The Fabulous Nineties.” Tobin replies with a smile. 

Alex smiles, “Oh man, it’s throwback time.” 

The music starts and the sound of the Backstreet Boys fills their ears as they work. Soon Tobin starts singing along with Jewel’s ‘Who Will Save Your Soul’, surprising Alex with how good she sounds. 

They both sing along to Alanis Morissette’s ‘You Oughta Know’, practically yelling out the lyrics as Tobin turns up the volume. Alex is laughing at Tobin’s antics, her dramatic interpretation of the what the song is about. 

Tobin would listen when Alex would reminisce about an event that Jeri wore a certain piece to or some funny memory that would pop into her head. 

When Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ comes on, they both stop what they’re doing to pose as they both sing along. Tobin grabs Alex’s hand and they dance, stumbling over a box and tripping on the pillows from the bed that tossed on the floor. 

Tobin lowers the volume after that, Alex turning to her holding a shirt. She holds it up against her. “This would look good on you,” she says, smiling at her, “want it?” 

Tobin looks down at the shirt, looking up to give her a nod, “Sure,” she says, “it’s cool.”

Alex grins at her, nodding and turns to the dresser. She begins to sort the clothes in it. 

As they wrapped it up, Tobin carried the boxes for the trash into the garage, Alex moving the others against a bare wall in the room. She explained to Tobin that she wanted her Mom and her sister to have the option of going through all of the items. She knew what they were throwing away wouldn’t matter to them, but she didn’t want to donate without them seeing it first. All of her clothes have been sorted, Alex deciding to go through Jeru’s jewelry box with her Mom and Jen later. 

Alex is lying on the bed, her knees bent and hanging over the side when Tobin reappears. She slides on it next to her, Alex reaching over and grabbing her hand. 

“Did your sister have as much clothes as Jeri?” Alex asks, rubbing her thumb on the top of Tobin’s hand. She wants to check in with her and make sure she’s feeling okay with helping her. 

Tobin smiles, “Power suits,” she says, “Katie was in real estate. She had so many business suits.” 

“Oh wow,” Alex nods, “she must have had a lot of shoes.” 

Tobin chuckles and shakes her head, “She had so many,” she sighs, “I did not know navy shoes could come in so many shades.” She lifts her head up form the mattress, “I mean, how does one color have, like, thirty variations!” she laughs. 

Alex smiles, waiting for Tobin’s laughter to recede, “So, you were okay doing this?” she asks quietly, “It didn’t trigger any bad memories, did it?” 

Tobin glances at her, seeing the concern and abruptly gets up from the bed, tugging on Alex’s hand and Alex stands as well. Tobin pulls her into a hug. It’s a hug that says things to her that words don’t express. Tobin is holding her tightly, her head against her shoulder, a hand wrapped around her back, the other holding her head. 

“It actually really helped,” Tobin says quietly, “there’s something so healing about helping someone you care about who’s going through the same things you’ve suffered.” She pulls back and brings both of her hands together to tenderly cradle Alex’s face, “I should be thanking you,” she says, “I was so numb and traumatized by everything that happened with Katie, the more you talked about Jeri, the better I felt about it all.” She kisses her softly. 

Alex brings her hands up to hold each of Tobin’s wrists, “Well, I’m thanking you,” she says, kissing her softly, “I couldn’t have begun this without you.” 

They smile at each other, not moving, enjoying the intimacy between them. 

A shrill alarm breaks the spell, Tobin’s hand shooting to her back pocket to grab her phone and shut it off. “Dinner’s ready,” she grins as the crockpot beeps from the kitchen. 

“What are we having?” Alex asks, she cut vegetables and the chicken breasts, but Tobin was secretive with how she was making it. 

“Hawaiian chicken,” Tobin grins, “I just need to make the rice super quick.” 

“Lead the way,” Alex laughs as Tobin pulls her along out of the room, she looks back to survey the room as she leaves, smiling to herself as she flicks the light off. 

 

They get together with Allie and Bati that night to watch a soccer match at Glenn’s bar in town. They have a good time, Tobin sharing some stories about her time playing on the National stage. When the match is over, a DJ takes over, announcing that karaoke will begin shortly. 

Tobin comes back to the table with another pitcher of beer, “I can’t believe how cheap this place is,” she grins at them, “back in Chapel Hill, a pitcher is like, five bucks more,” she reaches for Alex’s glass first, tilting it as she pours the beer. 

She fills Bati and Allie’s glasses as well and then her own. She tilts her head, “Is this, like, country night or is this a country bar?” she questions. 

Allie laughs, “You’re living in the sticks now, kid!” she raises her glass to toast Tobin. Tobin clinks hers against Allie’s. 

“I guess you’re right,” she grins, “I’m gonna need a cowboy hat, y’all,” she drawls. 

Alex smiles at her, “I’ve got a couple you can borrow,” 

Tobin leans back in her seat, nodding approvingly with a smile, “Alright, alright, alright,” 

“So, do you know any country songs?” Bati questions Tobin, smirking at her. 

“A few, yeah,” she shrugs. 

Allie stands up, grabbing Tobin’s elbow, “Alright, let’s go.” She yanks her out of her seat, “you’re gonna sing.” Alex had mentioned, well, had gushed to her about how awesome Tobin could sing. 

“Woah, wait!” Tobin protests as Allie leads her to the DJ. 

“Here’s the book,” Allie points, “have you ever done karaoke before?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin replies, opening the book, deciding not to fight it, “just not this sober.” 

“We can take care of that,” Allie nods confidently. 

Tobin finds a song that would work, scribbling down her name, the numbers and song title on small form. Allie snatches it and hands it to the DJ with a wink. He smiles back. 

Allie links her arm with Tobin’s and leads her to the bar. 

“What is she doing?” Alex questions as she watches them. 

“Looks like she’s getting your girl drunk,” Bati smirks at her. 

“Oh, shit,” Alex says, “I don’t know if she even drinks that much,” 

“Well,” Bati says, leaning back in his seat, “you’re gonna find out tonight. Hope she’s not a puker.” 

Allie comes back to the table grinning triumphantly, her eyes shining, her face flushed. She puts a hand on Alex’s shoulder as she sits down, “Your woman shoots whiskey,” she says dramatically as she nods, “she’s a keeper.” 

“Shit, Al,” Bati complains, “you don’t.” 

“I do tonight,” she grins. 

Tobin comes back to the table carrying a cardboard tray of nacho chips and cheese. “So, Glenn told me these were world famous,” she says, setting them down in the center of the table, “I felt compelled to see if that’s true.” 

They all reach for the chips. A few songs go by, they’re drinking and laughing and singing along, having a good time. 

“Alright,” the DJ announces, “we have a new singer tonight,” he says, “so let’s give a warm welcome to Tobin!” 

“Oh boy,” Tobin mutters, taking a sip of her beer. 

“Derrick!” Allie yells to a guy at the next table, “Can I borrow your hat for a minute?” 

“Sure, Al,” he grins, passing it over. She stands up with Tobin, placing it on her head, “Go get ‘em, cowgirl!” She smacks her ass as Tobin walks towards the stage. 

Tobin looks out at the crowd, “Hey,” she grins, looking completely at ease in front of them, “Y’all seem to like country music, so I hope you like this one,” 

“Oh my God,” Alex breathes, looking at her, “she’s so hot.” 

Allie elbows her, “If I played for your team, I’d do her.” 

Bati just shakes his head, sighing with a grin on his face. 

“What’s she going to sing?” Alex questions, her eyes not leaving Tobin, she’s grinning at her. Tobin’s wearing a pair of ripped jeans, her black work boots, an unbuttoned navy and white flannel shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. Derrick’s black cowboy hat sits atop her head, looking perfect on her. 

“Sin Wagon?” Allie replies, “Who’s that by?” 

“Dixie Chicks,” Alex replies, a shiver running through her. She knows the song and it makes her squirm in her seat a little. 

Tobin makes eye contact with Alex, giving her a crooked smile and a wink. The music starts and she begins to sing. 

Alex’s mouth drops open when she hears her, her voice low and silky smooth, her grin, cocky. The crowd is loving it, singing along, raising their beers. 

“Holy fuck!” Bati shouts, “She can sing!” 

“Yeehaw!” Allie yells out, others joining in. 

When the song is over, the crowd roars with applause and shouts. As Tobin makes her way back to the table, she’s stopped by many offering high fives. She pauses at the next to them, handing the hat to Derrick with a thanks. 

She drops down in her chair, smiling, her eyes alight, grabbing her beer and draining the glass. Bati gets up to get another pitcher. 

“You were awesome!” Allie shouts over the noise, smiling at her, her eyes a little glazed from the booze. 

“Thanks,” Tobin blushes, “it’s a fun song,” she glances at Alex who is just staring at her. She leans close to her, “What did you” Tobin stops because Alex suddenly grabs the back of her neck, pulling her closer, connecting their lips. Tobin’s eyebrows raise at the passion in the kiss. She shuts them as Alex continues to kiss her deeply.

When they break free, Tobin’s eyes are still closed, her lips slightly parted. Alex smirks as she opens her eyes, then smiles widely at Tobin when she opens her eyes. 

“Where’d you learn to sing like that?” Bati asks loudly as he sits, reaching over to grab Tobin’s glass and fill it up. 

“Church choir,” Tobin grins impishly, shrugging her shoulders. 

They all laugh. 

Time passes and the songs are getting slower in rhythm, but the bar is still packed. Two giggling, tipsy women approach the table, one carrying the song book, the other a pen and the song request slip. 

“Will you sing another song?” the blond one asks, “You have a wonderful voice,” 

“Ah,” Tobin responds, unsure, her eyes looking at Alex.

Alex leans over to her, feeling buzzed. “Sing me a love song,” 

Tobin looks up at the two women, “Sure,” she smiles at them, taking the book from the blond. She shuffles through a few pages, nodding when she sees it. The other woman hands her the pen and the paper, both of them watching as she fills it out. The one holds her hand out for the paper, reading it and then bringing the paper to her chest.

“Oh, I love this song,” she sighs, swaying slightly.

“Thanks!” the blond says, taking the book from her and they both walk up to the DJ. 

“What song?” Allie asks, looking expectantly. 

“A surprise.” Tobin nods at her. 

Alex slings her arm around Tobin’s shoulder, pulling her a little closer. Tobin grins and gives her a peck of a kiss on her cheek. 

“You two are so cute,” Bati grins, then leaning over to kiss Allie. 

A couple of songs pass and then Tobin’s name is called again amid cheers from the crowd. As she stands, Derrick stands as well, handing his hat to her. She smiles and thanks him, setting it on her head and walks to the stage. 

The microphone is on a mic stand and Tobin wraps both hands around it. Her eyes scan the room, meeting Alex’s gaze, giving her a soft smile before she takes a deep breath as the music starts. Alex kneels on her chair, one hand gripping the chair back tightly. 

The familiar music of Faith Hill’s Breathe fills the room and Tobin begins. 

_“I can feel the magic floating in the air_  


_Being with you gets me that way_

>p> _I watch the sunlight dance across your face_

_And I've never been this swept away.”_  


Tobin’s eyes bore in on Alex. 

_“All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze_  


_When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms_  


_The whole world just fades away_  


_The only thing I hear_  


_Is the beating of your heart_  


_'Cause I can feel you breathe_  


_It's washing over me_  


_And suddenly I'm melting into you_  


_There's nothing left to prove_  


_Baby, all we need is just to be_  


_Caught up in the touch_  


_Slow and steady rush_  


_Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be_  


_I can feel you breathe, just breathe”_  


Tobin brings a hand to her chest, her fingers splayed over her heart. She’s looking earnestly at Alex. Allie glances at Alex and sees her mesmerized, her mouth slightly open, her eyes watering slightly. There’s not a sound in the bar except Tobin and the music. 

_“In a way I know my heart is waking up_  


_As all the walls come tumbling down_  


_Closer than I've ever felt before_  


_And I know, and you know_  


_There's no need for words right now_  


_I can feel you breathe_  


_Washing over me_  


_And suddenly I'm melting into you_  


_There's nothing left to prove_  


_Baby, all we need is just to be_  


_Caught up in the touch_  


_Slow and steady rush_  


_Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be_  


_I can feel you breathe, just breathe”_  


Tobin closes her eyes, raising one hand out to her side and then moving it above her head. 

_Caught up in the touch_  


_Slow and steady rush_  


_Baby, isn't that the way that love's suppose to be_  


_I can feel you breathe, just breathe_  


__

Tobin opens her eyes, bringing both hands back to the microphone, eyes on Alex as she sings the last lines. 

_I can feel the magic floating in the air  
Being with you gets me that way.”_

 

There’s a moment of silence as the last strains of the music fades, then the bar explodes with applause and yells. Tobin was still looking at Alex, in a trance and when the noise hit, she flinches, startled, then blushes, running a hand over her mouth and jaw, then giving the peace sign to the crowd and leaving the stage. 

People are standing, everyone is talking and stopping Tobin on her way back to the table. She stops to hand the hat back to Derrick who rises as well. He hugs her, smiling, “Keep it, girl,” he says, “just promise to wear it when you come and sing again.” 

“Hey, thanks,” Tobin says, hugging him again, “are you sure?” 

“Totally,” he grins, “it looks better on you.” 

Alex, Bati and Allie are watching the exchange, then are mystified when Tobin heads to the bar. She flags down Glenn, who gives her a knuckle punch and leans to listen, watching Tobin jerk her thumb over her shoulder. Glenn nods, then pours a pitcher of beer and hands it to her, shaking his head when she pulls out cash. A waitress follows Tobin and delivers drinks to Derrick’s table. 

She comes back to the table with a fresh pitcher of beer, setting it down, looking at everyone who is silent. Her eyes dart around, landing on Alex, who is still kneeling on her chair. 

“That was incredible,” Alex says, drawing her close, wrapping her arms Tobin’s waist. 

“I meant every word,” Tobin admits, her eyes searching Alex’s face, “you make me feel things like I’ve never felt before.” Her voice trembles. 

Alex kisses her deeply, wanting to convey she felt the same way without words. She feels Tobin’s hands on her waist, the kiss intensifying. They both are losing themselves in the kiss, unaware of their surroundings until something soft hits the back of Alex’s head, causing her to pull away. 

She turns, panting, looking at Allie who is smirking. She glances down and sees a balled up napkin on the table. 

“Hey, horndogs,” Allie calls out, “you lesbos are giving all the straight guys boners here,” 

Tobin blushes furiously, pulling her chair out, Alex with her arms still around her. Alex lets go as Tobin sits, but then sits on her lap, putting an arm around her again, reaching for her beer. 

“Last round?” Bati offers holding up the pitcher, refilling glasses as they nod. 

Tobin chugs down half her beer, looking at Alex, “I can’t drive, can you?”

Alex shakes her head, “No way,” she grins, “not tonight.” 

Allie laughs, “It’s been a while since you’ve let loose, Alex,” she smiles at her, “you go girl!” 

“I’ll tell Glenn we’re leaving our cars,” Bati offers, taking his beer and standing to walk to the bar. 

“I got a cowboy hat!” Tobin exclaims happily, grinning at Allie and Alex. 

Allie gets her phone out, ordering an Uber. “We’ll drop you off,” she offers, “since it’s on our way,” 

“Thanks,” Tobin says, growing hornier by the minute from Alex playing with her hair. 

“I really like you in this hat,” Alex purrs, her face close to her. “Have you ever played with toys in the bedroom?” She whispers. 

“Lex!” Tobin hisses back, panicking. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Allie announces, not hearing Alex, leaving the table. Tobin turns her head back to Alex, who is looking at her lustfully. 

“I’m a little drunk,” Alex says softly, just for Tobin to hear, “but I want to fuck you. Have you ever used a strapon?” 

Tobin’s eyes widen, “Uh huh,” she shifts her weight on the chair, feeling the wetness beginning to pool between her legs. 

“Can I use one on you tonight?” Alex asks, watching as Tobin’s breathing picks up and she nods her head repeatedly very slowly, her mouth slightly open. “Good,” she smiles, “’cause I wanna fuck you so bad right now.” 

Tobin lets out a shaky breath, “We should get out of here,” she says, “before you make me embarrass myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the comments and kudos- much appreciated! 
> 
>  
> 
> Damn, Chicago. I thought you really had a chance beating NC. 
> 
>  
> 
> Quick poll- this chapter is about 5,900 words. I usually break my chapters down between 4,000-6,000. Your opinions? Is 4K too short? IS 6K too long? What are your thoughts?


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Some pure, unadulterated smut happens. Then some other stuff.

.

 

Sunday, October 1st   
2nd Day of Waxing Gibbous Moon 

 

It’s after two a.m. when Allie and Bati’s Uber drop the two off at Alex’s house. The two did their best to refrain from making out in the car, instead laughing with Allie and Bati over the fun they had that evening. 

Alex is impatient because Tobin is insistent on taking off her boots at the door, she’s struggling to get the laces untied . Alex kicks hers off, letting them clatter on the wood haphazardly. Tobin opens the closet door with an amused grin, knowing Alex is in a hurry and she hands her a hanger for her coat. Alex just throws her coat at Tobin, marching off to the bedroom. 

Tobin hangs both coats up, making sure the door is locked and then heading to the bedroom. Alex is rummaging around in her closet, so Tobin heads to the bathroom to pee, wash up and get ready for bed. 

When she comes out, she sees Alex looking at her darkly, a bag lying on the bed. She raises her hand, curling a finger to beckon Tobin to approach her. When Tobin stands before her, Ale grabs her ass roughly, pressing themselves together and kissing her fiercely. 

They come up for air, both breathing heavy, Tobin looking at the bag curiously. Alex gestures to it, “My bag of tricks,” she murmurs, sitting on the bed, motioning Tobin to sit on the other side of the bed. 

Alex unzips the bag and reveals a tangle of straps and smaller bags. Tobin lifts a strap with two fingers, raising an eyebrow at her. 

“I like to be tied up sometimes,” Alex says, her voice raspy and low from speaking over the bar noise, she studies Tobin carefully, “do you?” 

Tobin’s mouth goes dry, sure, she’s spoken with her past partners about her likes and preferences, but not so bluntly. “I’ve thought about it,” she answers, “but I’ve never done it.” 

“What about anal?” Alex ask, looking at her expectantly, “have you ever thought about it?” 

“I always thought it hurt,” Tobin replies, her breathing picking up again, this is turning her on so much right now.

Alex looks at her slyly, fingering a fabric incased object, “Not if you do it right,” 

Tobin swallows and nods. 

“So,” Alex says, moving her hand through the bag, picking up a grey fabric bag and a small bottle of what Tobin believes to be is lube, “you’ve used a strap on before?” 

Tobin licks her lips and nods, “It had a harness,” she manages to say, shifting on the bed. 

“Well, this one is a little different,” Alex smiles at her, “it’s my favorite,” she pulls a flesh colored dildo out from the bag, but Tobin sees the shape is different with another piece that she can only imagine is inserted into whoever is fucking her. 

“I haven’t seen one like this before,” Tobin says reaching her hand out to touch it, she notices the rubber ridges, “so you put this part in you?” she questions, watching Alex nod, “do these ridges, uh, give you, pleasure?” She chuckles and shakes her head, “I haven’t really explored this part of my sexuality to be honest.” She admits, “A chick I was with had one with the straps and we used it a few times. I liked it, but that’s about the extent of my adventuring.” 

“Would you like to have an adventure with this tonight?” Alex asks, holding the dildo up, smirking at her, her eyes smoldering and turning a dark shade of blue. 

Tobin nods, licking her lips again, “Very much so,” 

“Get naked,” Alex insists, “but leave the hat on,” she smirks.

It’s then that Tobin realizes she never took off Derrick’s cowboy hat. She smiles, shaking her head, standing up. Alex’s hands are on her, pulling at her collar, removing the flannel shirt. She leans in and kisses her and together the two begin removing what clothes they can without breaking the kiss. 

They soon stand naked before each other, breathing heavy, eyes locked.

“How do you want to do this?” Tobin asks, she’s kind of drunk but she really wants to do this. She swears she feels herself leaking down her own thigh. 

“I was thinking of maybe you’d mess with me first and then I do you and then I’ll use this on you.” Alex states, looking unsure of herself for the first time tonight. 

“Hey,” Tobin says, stepping close and rubbing Alex’s upper arms, “I want to do this,” she says quietly, “now that you put the thought in my head, God, yes, I want to do this. So, just tell me what works best,” 

Alex releases a breath, nodding, “Okay,” she agrees, “I’m kind of drunk, so just tell me if I, like, get out of hand, or too aggressive or anything, okay?” 

Tobin kisses her, “I will,” she promises, “but don’t hold back.” 

Alex scoots back into the middle of the bed, setting the dildo to her side, watching as Tobin kneels before her, slowly hovering over her as she balances herself on one elbow. She brings her head low to meet Alex’s neck, latching on, sucking and distributing soft bites, working her way down to her collarbone. Her hands glides across Alex’s chest, seeking her breast, her fingers toying with the hardening bud. 

Alex throws her head back, turning to give Tobin more access. She smiles when she feels the brim of the hat brush up against her forehead. She moans when Tobin shifts her weight, slotting her leg in between Alex’s spread ones, Alex moving her hips insistently against her, grinding, trying to relieve the ache and need that’s burning in her. 

Tobin moans again her skin, moving ever so slowly across her chest, licking at her, finding her breast and tonguing around the nipple. Alex’s chest rises, feeling the sensations begin to sweep her away, yet not wanting to cum yet, wanting to hold off until she’s fucking Tobin. 

Tobin’s fingers slide through her folds, fingering her clit, making Alex moan out in pleasure. They breaths are hot against each other. Tobin stretching up and finding Alex’s lips, her tongue plunging into Alex’s open mouth, both of them moaning. 

Alex’s hands trail along Tobin’s back, feeling her muscles, the smooth skin. She drops them to her ass, squeezing hard, pressing her hips down against her. 

Tobin breaks the kiss, smirking at her, “Not just yet,” she teases, snaking her way down, her hands massaging Alex’s thighs, her mouth sucking hard on her inner thigh. 

Alex nearly cums when Tobin laps her tongue through her folds, circling her clit with the tip and then repeating it again and again. Alex can feel the heat rising in her, her toes beginning to tingle. She moves a hand down to tap Tobin’s head. 

Tobin pops her head up, “Huh?” her eyes are black with desire. 

Alex curls her index finger to her, “Come up here,” she husks. 

Tobin gets in her knees, straddling Alex’s stomach. Alex curls her finger again, “I want you right here,” her hands reaching out on the backs of Tobin’s thighs as Tobin carefully balances herself over her. Alex slides her hands to Tobin’s hips and forces them down, her tongue meeting Tobin’s dripping center. 

She feels Tobin’s weight shift, she’s leaning forward, gripping the bedrail, her knees splayed apart. She moans loudly as Alex begins her assault of on her clit. She’s sucking on it, licking around it, biting at it, then she dives her tongue into Tobin, using it to widen her rings, making Tobin squirm in delight, holding on the rail for her life. 

“Oh, fuck!” she cries, snapping hips into Alex’s face, grinding on her. Her breath is coming out in shudders as she feels the tension building in her, waiting for release. Then she feels Alex’s strong hands on her thighs, pushing her back from her face, guiding her to chest. 

Tobin looks down at her, panting heavily. 

“You ready for my cock, cowgirl?” Alex asks, smirking at her, lazily massaging Tobin’s thighs. 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Tobin mutters, backing away to watch as Alex grabs the dildo, slowly guiding the anchor base through her folds, then inserting it into herself. Alex grips the base of the cock as Tobin approaches, using it to tease her, lazily rubbing against her clit, pressing it against her center, but not entering her. She uses her other hand to snap the lid on the bottle of lube, pouring some onto her fingertips, gliding them around Tobin’s swollen pussy. 

Alex glances up to see Tobin staring, her mouth open, her eyes dark, focused on Alex’s hands as she drops some lube on the cock, slowly using her other hand to spread it on the head and shaft. She lies on her back, wiping her hand on a towel, then raising her eyebrows at Tobin, “Saddle up,” she smirks, reaching for Tobin’s thighs. 

Tobin leans forward to capture to Alex’s lips, kissing her passionately, one hand on Alex’s chest, lazily twisting her nipple. She backs away, kneeling straight above Alex, angling her knees and using one hand to reach the base of the cock, “Giddy up,” she smirks, moving herself to accept the member. She knows she’s kind of drunk but this heady feeling she’s experiencing is definitely something else. 

As she slowly lowers herself on it, Alex watches as Tobin throws her head back, her mouth open, groaning as the cock penetrates her. She doesn’t move for a moment, allowing herself a minute to acclimate herself. “I forgot how good this feels,” she moans. 

She moves her knees, adjusting her stance, then slowly lowering herself even move, taking more of the thick cock, letting out a moan that makes Alex scratch at her thighs. 

Tobin sets a slow rhythm, her hands holding Alex’s breasts, massaging them as she moves. “Feels so good, Lex,” she murmurs, increasing her pace. Alex arches her back, the silicone ridges massaging her clit, making her moan out as well. 

Tobin slowly leans forward, both hands next to Alex’s shoulders, then falling to her elbows, her hips now steadily moving. Alex matches her pace, rising herself to meet Tobin’s pelvis as she watches her muscular thighs flex with each movement. Tobin’s mouth finds Alex’s, both of them hungry for each other, so turned on at the moment. Tobin moans into her mouth, then moves her head to Alex’s neck as Alex brings her arms around Tobin, pressing her into her chest. 

Alec can feel Tobin’s hot breaths on her neck, her panting intermixed with soft curses and moans. Alex moves her hands down Tobin’s back, feeling the sheen of sweat of that incases Tobin, finding her ass, slapping a cheek and then gripping her hips, driving them downward with each thrust. 

A choked moan struggles in Tobin’s throat, her chest heaving, hips bucking. She stops, rising up to support herself on her knees, panting, looking down at Alex. Alex leans up on her elbows, breathing heavy. 

“My turn,” Alex says, her voice low and raspy, “on your back.” 

Tobin grins, “Good, I was getting tired,” she smarts back, hooking her legs around Alex and rolling to her back with Alex now on top. Alex thrusts her hips, “Aw, little Toby getting all tuckered out?” she teases, smirking at her. 

“Don’t call me” Tobin starts but Alex begins thrusting harder making her words die on her lips. Alex takes the hat from her head, placing it on her own, “I’m gonna ride you until you drop, Heath,” she warns, quickening her pace. 

“Oh, God!” Tobin cries out, “Oohh,” she moans, feeling every inch of the dildo filling her, hitting her in all the right spots. 

Alex finds Tobin’s hands, interlocking their fingers, bringing their hands next to Tobin’s shoulders, pressing them in the mattress for leverage as she pumps into Tobin. Tobin’s legs are spread wide, knees bent and heels digging in to the mattress as Alex continues to pound into her. 

Both of them are breathing heavily, their breaths ragged, nearly wheezing, as if they’d been sprinting. Tobin’s breathing hard, moans escaping her lips upon her uneven exhales. Alex isn’t fairing much better, her hips jerking and thrusting as she feels the orgasm threatening. 

“I’m close,” Tobin utters, her voice wrecked, “fuck,” 

“Me, too,” Alex pants lying on Tobin, a hand grabbing the back of Tobin’s head, fisting her hair, pulling it back, “cum for me,” she orders, angling her hips and issuing a series of short, hard pumps into her. 

“Oh,” Tobin groans, her head coming up, chin on her chest, eyes slammed shut. Her legs are twitching, toes pointed as a powerful orgasm rushes through her. As soon as Alex heard Tobin release that groan, she’s cumming with her, her hips thrusting deep within her, then freezing inside her, her back arching, shuddering as she releases Tobin’s hair, falling onto her chest, her head on her shoulder, panting. 

With each aftershock she feels, Alex jerks her hips into Tobin, making her moan and flinch. After a few minutes of enduring it and Tobin finally speaks. “Stop!” she pleads, pushing her shoulder, “I can’t take it, please,” she begs.

Alex slides off, lying on her side beside her, drawing the member from within her, tossing it on her towel. “Holy shit,” she mumbles, not feeling her legs and clumsily trying to move them, “that was amazing,” 

Tobin turns her head to face her, opening her eyes and giving her a tired smile, “Incredible,” she breathes, “you’re really good at that,” 

“Helps when you ride it so well,” Alex smirks at her, “I almost came, like, four different times from you.” 

“I wanna try it sometime,” Tobin remarks, yawning loudly, “you wore me out,” 

Alex nods, “I look forward to it,” she yawns, her hand finding the towel with the dildo on it, she sits up and takes a hold of it. “I’ve got to pee and clean up,” she says, tossing the towel on Tobin’s stomach, “here,” she says as she slides off the bed, her first steps a little unsteady. 

“Head rush,” she giggles, still feeling a little tipsy. 

When she returns, Tobin is leaving the bed, looking at the comforter critically. 

“What?” Alex questions, elbowing her. 

“I was just looking to see if we need to wash it tomorrow,” Tobin explains, walking away to the bathroom. 

Alex knows she’ll wash it anyway, too tired and too tipsy to care right now. She throws opens the covers for Tobin, snuggling in on her side. 

Tobin eases back in the bed, clicking off the bedside lamp, moving close to her, kissing her gently, “You’re something else,” she says affectionately, pulling her close. 

“So are you, Ms. Karaoke Queen,” Alex yawns.

Sleep comes quick for both of them. 

 

 

Tuesday, October 3rd   
3rd Day of Waxing Gibbous Moon 

 

“She’s pretty awesome, Mom,” Alex says as she holds her phone with one hand and tries to fold the blanket in the living room. She’s FaceTiming her Mother, having already shown her the progress in Jeri’s room, the boxes her and Jen will go through. She’s told her about Tobin, keeping the story the same. They met online, share similar grief stories and clicked. She dragged the timeline out a little, keeping it vague so it didn’t seem too strange that she is living with her so soon. 

“Well, where is she?” Pam asks, looking over Alex’s shoulder in the frame, trying to see if she’s in the room. 

“She’s outside right now,” Alex explains, “I’ll set it up so you guys can meet before you get here.” 

“Is her family coming?” 

“Uh,” Alex hesitates, they had talked about it, Tobin deciding to make a decision after this full moon and Alex can see what her wolf cell biopsies look like and they make a treatment plan. “I’m not sure yet, Mom,” she says, “she told me she’ll talk to her Mom next week.” 

“Oh, I hope they can come,” Pam says, looking excitedly at Alex, “I can’t wait to meet her and see you, I miss you so much!” 

“Yo, Lex!” Tobin’s voice rings out excitedly, shutting the door behind her and kicking off her boots, “There’s this amazing,” she stops, “oh, sorry,” she lowers her voice, realizing she’s on a call. 

“Is that Tobin?” she can hear clearly phone Alex’s phone, Alex grinning at her and waving her over to the couch. Tobin walks to her, not even shedding her coat, and sits down next to her. 

“Tobin,” Alex says, grinning at her, “I’d like you to meet my Mom, Mom, this is Tobin.” 

“Hi,” Tobin gives a little hand wave, leaning close against Alex to see the phone’s screen. 

“Hi, Tobin, I’m Pam,” she replies, “I’ve heard so many wonderful things about.” 

“Aw, shucks,” Tobin blushes, looking down at her lap, “I, um, I” 

“What were you doing?” Alex asks suddenly, furrowing her forehead as she reaches up to pick pieces of straw off Tobin’s beanie. 

“Oh, I was in the barn,” Tobin says, growing excited and grinning at her, “it is so cool!” 

Alex beams at her, happy she’s so excited about it. Tobin had decided to check it out and see if it was still structurally sound and if she thought it needed any major repairs. Her and Alex had seriously talked in the morning of the possibility of bringing back the barn to an operational level. Just speculating, of course, daydreaming, but seeing if it could possibly happen. 

Tobin had cautioned her that she wasn’t sure about anything until she made a clean break from the wolf pack. Alex could see the fear in her eyes, how insecure she looked. So, they entertained themselves, throwing ideas out there about their future even though it was uncertain. 

Alex glances to her phone, seeing her Mom practically glowing at them. “Oh, Mom,” she says hurriedly, “Tobin is really handy, she fixed my sink and that weird noise from the furnace I was telling you about.” 

“That’s great that you’re so good with your hands,” Pam gushes, “I understand you work with computers.” 

“I do,” Tobin’s head bobs up and down, “internet security, fraud stuff.” 

“Alex tells me you and Allie finally got her to stop writing invoices for the business and she’s all computerized now,” Pam says, looking at Tobin with such affection, Alex can practically see the gears turning in her Mother’s head. 

“Ah, yeah,” Tobin shrugs, glancing at Alex, “that stuff just comes easily to me, it wasn’t a big deal.” 

“Will I get to see you for Thanksgiving?” she asks, looking expectantly at Tobin, her daughter long forgotten in this conversation. 

“Maybe?” Tobin replies, “I’ll be talking to my Mom next week to get a plan together.” 

Alex lets out a breath, releasing the death grip she had on Tobin’s thigh. Tobin grins at her and then to her Pam, “I sure hope so, I’m super excited to meet you guys.” 

“Hey Mom?” Alex moves the camera towards herself, “We got to go, we’re going to meet Allie and Bati for dinner and we need to get ready now.” 

“Oh, alright, dear,” Pam says easily, “Tobin it was nice meeting you,” 

“You too, Mrs. Morgan. I hope to see you and your family in November.” Tobin replies with a smile. 

“Oh, please! Call me Pam, dear,” she laughs, “Mrs. Morgan is my Mother-in Law.” 

“Will do,” Tobin gives her a little two finger salute. 

“Bye Mom, love you,” Alex says, so glad this call is ending. 

“Love you, too,” Pam says as she signs off. 

Tobin looks at her, smiling broadly. “Your Mom is hot.” 

Alex slaps her shoulder, “Stop!” she laughs. 

“Seriously,” Tobin says, bringing an arm her, “she’s super nice.” 

Alex nods, “She’s is, isn’t she?” Tobin smiles back and nods as well. She looks at her watch. 

“We need to get ready.” 

Alex pulls her off the couch. They separate in the hallway, Tobin using the bathroom in Jeri’s room, while Alex gets ready in her own. 

Tobin is bent over grabbing the dishes from the lower rack of the dishwasher to put away when Alex walks out. Alex stops in her tracks, looking Tobin over. She’s got a great view of her ass, covered in tight dark jeans. She steps forward and gives her a hard smack. 

Tobin shoots up, “Hey!” she laughs. 

Alex just stands there, eying her up and down. 

“What?” Tobin asks, narrowing her eyes, looking at her suspiciously as she sets the plates on the counter, then she rubs her butt cheek.

Alex shakes her head, “We might have to cancel tonight,” she says and then bites her lip. 

“What? Why?” Tobin asks, clearly confused. 

“Because you look too fucking hot,” Alex says, a smirk appearing on her face. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to leave here.” 

“What makes you think I’ll give it up so easy?” Tobin teases, turning to put the plates in the cabinet. She feels Alex press against her back, making her step forward against the counter, Alex’s hands suddenly on the tops of her thighs. 

“Because I know what you like,” Alex breathes into her ear, her voice low raspy. 

Tobin shuffles again to face her, kissing her. “You’re not all I like to eat, but you’ve been raving about these cheeseburgers at Glenn’s and I’m hungry.” She says, smiling at her, “I know what you like as well,” she kisses her again, this time more passionately. “But there’s also that National Team game tonight and we’re watching that after dinner.” She   
brushes past her, grinning triumphantly. 

Alex sighs loudly, shoulders slumping dramatically, “Okay,” she says, “you’re right.” 

 

 

“Alright,” Tobin announces, leaning back in her seat, “that may have been the best burger I’ve ever had in my life.” 

“You here that Glenn?” Allie shouts over towards the bad, “You got a new convert!” 

Glenn smiles and waves back. 

“So, how’s the new job?” Allie asks Tobin, looking over from across the table. 

Tobin shrugs, “Eh,” she shrugs, “just doing a shakedown of their security systems, no biggie.” 

Bati nods at her, “The crooks always find a way, huh?” 

Tobin nods as she takes a drink of her beer, “True dat,” 

Dinner was fun filled, the group laughing and joking, Allie telling Tobin embarrassing stories about Alex, Alex denying everything, her eyes bright and shining. Tobin and Bati got along famously, talking soccer, computers and snowboarding. 

After watching the National Team handily beat Costa Rico in a friendly, which Tobin was surprised the bar showed and so many people filtered in to watch, a band started up on the small stage in the corner. 

After a few more beers, Tobin allows Alex to pull her out on the small dance floor, grinning as Alex grabs her ass and pulls her close. Bati and Allie are close by, Allie smiling at them and making kissy faces, her face flushed by the beers she’s had. 

It’s almost midnight when the group decides it’s best to head out, seeing as how it’s a work night, and they leave the bar. 

“Why did they have a band there on a Tuesday?” Tobin questions as she sits in the driver’s seat. She stopped drinking a while ago, allowing Alex to feel free to have a couple more beers. 

“They’re a bunch of firefighters,” Alex explains as she points the direction for Tobin to leave the parking lot, “they probably have tomorrow off, so they come out. Glenn usually has a decent crowd for soccer matches.” 

“Huh,” Tobin nods, “that’s pretty cool,” 

Alex is yawning next to her, their hands intertwined resting on the center console. 

“You’re a good dancer,” Alex says, her voice raspy from speaking over the crowd in the bar, “I like dancing with you,” 

Tobin smiles and glances over at her, “I like dancing with you, too.” 

“I hope I don’t get any calls in the morning,” Alex says, “I’m glad Allie scheduled our first appointment for ten,” 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “that’s pretty sweet, you can sleep in late,” 

“Do you have to be up early?” 

“I’ll check my emails when we get home,” Tobin replies, “if there’s nothing there, I can.” She glances over to see Alex smiling wide at her, her eyes shining. 

“What?” she questions. 

Alex just keeps smiling, blinking lazily at her, she’s a little buzzed. 

“What, Lex?” Tobin persists. 

“You said home,” she answers, sighing happily. 

“Oh,” Tobin raises her eyebrows, “yeah, I did.” She looks over at her, “Is it too soon? To say that?” 

Alex shakes her head, “I want you to feel comfortable with me, here.” She squeezes her hand. 

“I do,” Tobin smiles at her, “I really do.” 

Alex keeps looking at her, biting her lower lip. 

“What?” Tobin asks, feeling her gaze. 

“I was thinking of asking my Mom and Jen if they want any of Jeri’s furniture.” Alex states, “And that made me wonder if you might want to bring your stuff you have in storage here.” 

Tobin is nodding as she speaks, her bobbing up and down. She glances over at her, her expression one of trepidation. “Well,” she clears her throat, “I was thinking maybe we could table that until we see how I respond to treatment?” She squeezes Alex’s hand, “I mean, there’s a fair chance it could make me super sick or it might not work or something horrible will happen with the next full moon.” 

“Okay,” Alex nods quietly, a little hurt, but understanding Tobin’s reluctance to commit. 

Tobin navigates the car into the driveway, clicking on the garage door opener. She turns to face Alex, “It’s just,” she begins, shaking her head, looking back up at her, “if the worst case scenario plays out,” she says, her voice trembling with emotion, “I don’t want you to be surrounded by my stuff and have to go through it all.” 

Alex’ breath hitches, not expecting Tobin to be so frank about the risks of what they were going to undertake. She knows she would be thinking about it, but to hear her state that she knows she could die from it scares her. She feels tears streaming down her cheeks as Tobin guides the vehicle into the garage, the noise of the door shutting behind them. 

Wordlessly, Tobin leaves the car, Alex pondering how sad she feels. Her door opens and Tobin helps her out. She looks up and sees that Tobin is crying as well, “I’m sorry,” Tobin speaks, sniffing as she looks at her in the dim light of the garage, “I just can’t let you go through that kind of thing again.” A sob escapes her lips as she looks away, trying hard not to break down. 

Alex pulls her in, hugging her tightly, “It’s okay,” she says, “it’s okay,” she holds her as Tobin cries. It’s the fear coming out, the fear of the treatment not working, or manipulating her body chemistry in a way that will destroy her. 

“I don’t want to die,” Tobin laments as she sniffles, “I want to be here with you, Lex,” 

“And you will be,” Alex replies, rubbing Tobin’s back, “we’ll come up with the best treatment possible, and you’ll beat it. I know you will.” 

“I’m scared,” Tobin says, her voice wavering, burrowing her head into Alex’s shoulder, holding her tightly. 

“It’s okay to be scared, babe,” Alex comforts, “once we figure out what we’re up against, I know you’ll feel better. Once we have a game plan, I promise.” She feels Tobin’s head nod against her. 

“Okay,” Tobin sniffs, getting control of herself again, “okay,” she says, “we’ll beat it.” She raises her head to look at Alex. 

“We’ll beat it together.” Alex says, kissing her lips gently, “I promise.” 

Tobin gives her a small smile as she nods, “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a time for my fucking modem to crap out, huh? Sorry to leave y'all hanging.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex witnesses Tobin's transformation for the first time and spends the evening with her as a wolf.

.

 

Wednesday, October 4th   
1st Day of the Full Moon 

 

“Here,” Tobin sets a plate of food in front of Alex. She sits down across from her. 

“You’re not eating?” Alex questions, tilting her head to look at her. 

Tobin shakes her head, “I don’t like to eat before I, uh, transform.” 

“Oh,” Alex says, “well this looks good,” she smiles at her. Tobin’s face brightens, “Good, I hope you like it. Maybe you can give me some later, but, like, in a bowl.” 

Alex lets out a giggle, “This is just so weird,” she says, “I can’t wrap my head around it.” 

“Tell me about it,” Tobin says dryly, rolling her eyes. 

“So, what do you do when you’re a wolf?” Alex asks, looking up as she takes a forkful of rice into her mouth. 

Tobin shrugs, leaning back in her chair, “Usually we would have a mission, like go hunt someone down, or stake out someone, something like that,” she says, “I don’t know, we could just lay around and watch TV or something.” 

“Video games?” Alex asks brightly, teasing her. Tobin scrunches her mouth, nodding at her, “Yeah,” 

“Play fetch?” Alex continues her teasing, grinning at her. 

“We could go for a walk if you want,” Tobin offers, “but I’m not sure we want a whole lot of people seeing me.” 

Alex nods her head, growing serious, “We’ll just take it easy,” she sees Tobin chewing on her lower lip. “What’s wrong, babe?” 

“I just hate this,” Tobin admits, “knowing it’s coming and it’s going to hurt so bad and there’s nothing I can do about it.” 

“I can give you something so you won’t feel it,” Alex offers, watching as Tobin shakes her head. 

“I don’t want any drugs in my system before you do your biopsies.” She states. “I just don’t want to chance something skewing your results.” 

“I understand,” Alex nods, “just let me know if I can do anything to help you feel better.” 

“I will,” Tobin smiles warmly at her, “thanks,” she looks at her watch, “I think I’m going to, uh, get changed,” she says, “it’s gonna start soon.” 

“Is it messy?” Alex asks, “I mean, you can stay in my room, on the bed or the floor, whatever you want.” 

Tobin nods as she stands, “It’s not messy,” she says, “we can hang in your room,” 

 

Alex does her best to remain as professional and analytical as possible, but it’s difficult, hearing Tobin’s agonized screams as she transforms in front of her. 

Tobin is kneeling on the floor, her hands holding her head, “Ahhh,” she moans, “God!” she cries out, her breathing becoming heavy, “No!” she screams, falling forward, her forehead on the carpet, her body shuddering. Alex’s mouth drops open as she watches how Tobin’s legs begin changing, morphing, becoming shorter, same with her arms.

She tears up as she sees Tobin watching her arms change, screaming with terror as she fights it, then her back jerking, the crackling sound of bones shifting. Tobin’s screams becoming garbled as her spine changes, her ribs shifting and dropping lower. It’s fascinating and stomach turning to Alex. 

Soon the screams become gargled, then snarls, then yelps as fur begins to sprout. 

Tobin, now a wolf, lies on the floor, panting, her tongue hanging out of her mouth, eyes shut. 

Alex did get some excellent information, scribbling it down so she would remember later. It was hard to take notes while she was so fascinated by watching the process. She had suspected that the change from being a human to a wolf would likely be driven by the lymphatic or endocrine systems in both bodies. She hopes that chemotherapy or a stem cell intervention in those glands would then alter the pathway and rid the body of any alien cells. Like wolf cells. She would find that out after the biopsy tomorrow when she studies the slides. 

Hopefully, when she compares the samples against Tobin’s biopsies, she would find the offending cells and that would assist her in formulating a treatment plan. She just hopes it wouldn’t be zeroed in on the pituitary gland. That would make things much more difficult to treat. 

“You okay?” she asks, getting up from the floor. 

Tobin lifts her head and nods. 

“It doesn’t still hurt, does it?” 

Tobin does this nod and shake of her head. 

“It aches?” Alex guesses. Tobin nods.

She sits down on the bed, stroking her soft fur, an idea comes to mind. “You know, I was at a conference a couple of years ago and went to session about therapeutic massage for canines and felines. Why don’t you sit up and I’ll give it a try?” 

“Woof,” Tobin responds, slowly getting to her feet and jumping on the bed as Alex sits crossed legged on the bed. Tobin practically sits in her lap, her back towards her. Alex brings her hands up and starts kneading on her back near her shoulder blades. Tobin raises her head back, issuing a soft gravelly sound. She works those muscles, feeling the tightness, shaking her head thinking she should have given Tobin a massage earlier this afternoon. 

She’s now working her lower ribs and feels Tobin begin to sway. “You alright?” she asks quietly, her hands still moving. 

“Roowww, ruuueee, ruu rooooeee,” Tobin speaks lowly, sounding like she’s enjoying it. 

“Lay down,” Alex instructs, Tobin taking a step forward and lying on her belly. Alex straddles her, working her neck, Tobin giving her a backwards glance and muttering something and Alex can swear she sees her wink. 

“Easy there, horn dog,” Alex says, laughing a little, “I draw the line at bestiality.” 

Tobin sighs heavily, shaking her head. Alex moves to her side, pushing Tobin’s hip so she does the same. She takes her back leg in hand, working the muscles.

When she finishes, Tobin is lying there, eyes little slits, mouth partially open. Alex lays next to her on her side, grabbing a pillow and just looking at her. 

“I see you in your eyes,” Alex says softly as she looks at her. She swears when Tobin pulls her mouth that way she’s smiling at her. “I mean, structurally, a wolf’s eye is different than a human” she stops as Tobin brings a paw to her mouth. 

“Ruin the mood?” Alex giggles, thinking it’s been a long time since she giggled and it’s only happened recently because of Tobin. Alex leans closer towards her, using one hand to gently grab at the fur on her neck, pulling her close, “I love you.” She kisses the tip of her warm, wet nose. 

Tobin responds by licking her, a big sloppy wet one up the side of her face. “Tobin!” she giggles again, rolling on her back, Tobin now up and standing over her, licking her face. 

She stops and nuzzles her neck and Alex raises her arms to hug her, feeling Tobin shift and lay on her chest. 

Alex looks down at her, her head between her breasts. She strokes the top of her head. Tobin’s eyes close and Alex can feel her throaty purr on her chest. Tobin’s paws begin to softly knead at her shoulders, every so gently. She opens her eyes and begins to croon at her and it warms Alex’s heart. 

Alex can see the love and devotion in Tobin’s eyes, they’re so expressive. She brings both of her hands to lightly scratch behind Tobin’s ears. Tobin eyes close again and she lets out a contented sigh. 

Tobin cracks one eye open as her stomach growls. Alex does the same. “You hungry?” She remembering Tobin hasn’t eaten all day. 

Tobin carefully stands up, her paws at the sides of Alex’s shoulders. She yawns as she jumps down from the bed, whimpering a little, shaking her front left paw out as Alex reaches over to get her phone. She slowly walks to the kitchen, getting two paws up on the counter, staring at the crockpot. 

“You want some chicken and rice?” Alex asks, getting two bowls out from the cabinet. “It’s really good,” she says as she fills a bowl with cold water. She sets the bowl down on the other side of the island. 

Tobin patiently waits for Alex to step back before she approaches the bowl of chicken. Alex heads to the couch while Tobin eats, scrolling her phone and answering some texts. 

Soon she hears Tobin drinking from the water bowl, then slowly padding out the living room. She lays on the floor at Alex’s feet. 

“You can come up on the couch, you know,” Alex says as she strokes her fur with her foot. 

Tobin’s head is up, cocked to the side, looking at her. 

“It’s fine,” Alex assures her, “come snuggle me, it’s cold in here.” Tobin gets up on the couch, lying next to her, resting her head in Alex’s lap. 

“Hey,” Alex says, stroking her head, “do you mind if I give Christen a call? And maybe invite her and Julie out for a night?” 

Tobin wags her tail, nodding her head. 

“Cool, I want them to meet you,” Alex smiles, grabbing her phone. She drops it onto Tobin’s head as it goes off, indicating a Facetime call. It’s Christen. She answers it. Tobin grumbles a bit, shifting her head on her lap. 

“Hey, you! I was just thinking of you!” Alex smiles, “I literally hand my phone in my hand when you called.” 

“Great minds think alike!” Christen laughs, “How’ve you been?” 

“Really good,” Alex smiles, stroking Tobin’s head in her lap. 

“How’s it going with Tobin?” Christen asks, “Can you talk?” 

Alex nods and smiles, shifting a little as Tobin rolls over onto her back, looking up at Alex, her tongue hanging out and she swears she’s grinning at her. “It’s going really good.” 

She nods, “She’s pretty amazing.” 

“So, she’s staying with you?” Christen presses, “Like, moved in and everything?” 

“So far, yeah,” Alex replies, “we’re waiting a while before we decide if it’s permanent, you know, taking it slow. She hasn’t brought her furniture or anything in yet.” 

“That’s reasonable,” Christen approves, “how’s the sex?” 

“Chris!” Alex blushes, knowing Tobin is right there. 

“So, it’s mind blowing, huh?” Christen grins at her. 

Alex rolls her eyes at her, “Well, yeah,” she says, “she knows what she’s doing in that department, for sure.” 

Tobin suddenly sneezes, spraying Alex and her phone, “Oh, gross!” Alex exclaims, wiping her face and the screen. 

“Did you get a dog?” Christen shrieks, “Tell me you did!” 

Alex shakes her head, “No, I didn’t,” she states, “this is one of my patients, who I offered to watch for a few days.” She nudges Tobin, nodding her head at her. “Come on, baby, come look at Christen.” 

Tobin grumbles, yawning, stretching on the couch and then leaning herself against Alex, looking at the phone. 

“Oh my God!” Christen exclaims, “Jules! Come look at this dog!” Julie’s blond hair arrives on the screen before her face, “Hey Alex,” she greets with a smile. 

“Woah, that’s a wolf!” She exclaims, leaning forward to look at her. 

“Actually a wolf husky mix,” Alex corrects, “her name is Dorkball.” Tobin turns her head to face Alex, huffing at her and issuing a series of mumbles and dog like talking. The disapproval is apparent to even Julie and Christen. 

“I don’t think she likes that name,” Christen laughs, “you should give her a nickname.” 

“Look at those eyes, they’re so beautiful,” Julie comments, “they look like honey.” 

“Honey!” Christen calls out, “You should call her that, she looks so snuggly,” 

With that, Tobin leans even more against Alex, nuzzling her head against her neck. 

“Alright, alright,” Alex laughs, looking at her using one hand to cup under Tobin’s mouth, “are you my Honey?” she coos at her. 

Tobin paws gently at her, letting out a series of noises of her approval. “Good,” Alex laughs again, petting her head, Tobin takes the opportunity to give her a big wet lick against her face. Then dances away to end of the couch. 

“Ugh!” Alex exclaims, wiping her face, “Dorkball!” 

Tobin barks back at her, leaping off the couch and running around the living room, suddenly full of energy. 

“What a riot!” Julie laughs, kissing Christen’s cheek, “We should get a dog, babe,” 

Christen’s eyes go wide, “What?” 

Julie nods, “Yeah,” she says, “I know your hours can be long, but mine are steady and consistent, so it wouldn’t be a problem.” 

Christen drops her phone as she hugs Julie, kissing her and nearly crying. 

Alex looks on amused, then sees Tobin streaking from down the hallway and making a flying leap onto the couch. She lands on the cushion next to her, her momentum sending her into Alex. 

“Oof!” Alex groans, “Get off me,” she moans, as Tobin’s legs sticking straight up in the air, her back across Alex’s legs. Tobin’s paws are hitting her in the chest, so Alex does what she needs to do. “Off!” she commands, pushing her, “Let’s go, Honey, get off.” 

Tobin sighs, reluctantly moving slowly off her, getting down from the couch and walking out of her view. 

She finds her phone again, Christen and Julie busily chatting about how old of a rescue dog they should get. 

Their conversation gets back on track and they start looking at dates to come to Alex’s house. 

“Yeah, come on Friday night, we could go out for dinner at Glenn’s,” Alex offers, “I know you guys love it there,” 

Julie and Christen are both laughing, their eyes trained behind Alex. “What?” Alex questions, turning her head, only hearing more laughing. She turns the other way, now feeling a weight on the back on the couch cushion. 

She sighs and shakes her head. “That dog is hysterical!” Julie laughs, “She’s poking her head up behind you and hiding when you look,” 

“She’s a nutjob,” Alex grins, “come here, Honey,” she calls, stoking Tobin’s fur as she sits next to the couch, “she’s a good dog.” She pans the phone so Julie and Christen can see   
Tobin’s floppy half ear and tongue hanging out. 

“Hey, where is Tobin?” Christen asks. 

“Ah, she has a migraine,” Alex explains, “she’s in bed.” 

“Aww,” Julie shakes her head, “that’s terrible, does she get them a lot?” 

“A couple of times a month,” Alex replies, “clusters.” 

“She have meds?” Christen asks prudently, always the doctor. 

“Fentanyl,” Alex scrunches her mouth, “they’re pretty horrible.” 

“Oh man,” Christen shakes her head, “how awful.” 

“Yeah,” Alex sighs, looking at Tobin, who’s now on the couch, giving her a smile, “but she powers through them, not complaining,” 

“I take it she’s seen a neurologist,” Christen inquires, seeing Alex nod in reply. 

“A few different ones,” she says, “it sucks.” 

“Hey, is it cool if I see if Sam and Nikki are around for the 13th?” Christen asks suddenly. 

“Oh, yeah,” Alex grins, “that would be awesome!” 

They end their call soon after that with Christen promising to text Alex if Sam and Nikki would be joining them. 

Tobin whimpers, nudging Alex, she sits up, panting with her tongue out, ears floppy, looking at her with a goofy face. She paws at Alex’s phone, then looks at her, then paws at her phone again. 

“What are you trying to say?” Alex questions, holding her phone up, “Do you want me to call someone?” 

Tobin shakes her head, straightening up, shoulders back, preening in front of her. She tilts her head from side to side, posing. 

Alex keeps looking at her perplexed. 

Tobin steps even closer to Alex, putting her head alongside hers, cheek to cheek. She poses then resets. She paws at Alex’s phone. 

“Do you want to…take a selfie?” Alex questions. Tobin nods, tail wagging, one ear half down. Alex smiles, “Okay, let’s get ready.” 

Tobin slides in next to her again, a goofy look with her tongue out, ears wild, next to Alex’s smiling face. Alex takes a couple of shots. She shows them to Tobin, who’s nose is almost pressed against the screen the screen as she looks at them. Alex wonders if she’s ever seen herself as a wolf before. Tobin looks at her, staring, then nudging her hand. “More?” 

They take some facing each other, then Alex starts laughing, Tobin nuzzling her side, tickling her. 

“Okay, last one, then let’s go to bed, I’m exhausted, okay?” Alex instructs. Tobin places her furry head next to hers, both looking at the camera. In the last moment, Tobin turns and licks the side of her face, just as she clicks. 

“Tobin!” she screeches with laughter, wiping her face, “Gross!” Tobin jumps off the couch, barking at her, prancing with her forepaws low and hind quarters raised. 

Alex stands, laughing, as Tobin starts talking to her again, a mix of soft barks, mumbles and elongated howls. 

Tobin makes a beeline for the side door, looking over her shoulder at her. 

“Do you need to go out?” Alex asks as she approaches. She stops, hesitating. “You’re not, uh, being called by the pack, are you?” Tobin shakes her head. 

“Maybe I should get a collar and a leash, just in case,” she thinks aloud. 

Tobin whines, doing this weird little dance, nodding at her. 

“Okay,” Alex sighs, “be careful.” She opens the door, watching as Tobin trots out to the yard. She sniffs around a little and looks poised to pee when she gives Alex a pointed look, muttering something at her, as if scolding her. 

Alex drops her eyes, feeling that maybe Tobin wants some privacy, turning to lean on the door jamb, looking in the other direction. 

Tobin comes back shortly, dramatically wiping her paws on the rug, shaking her whole body then looking up at Alex, wagging her tail. 

“All set for bed?” Alex asks, watching as Tobin nods. “Let’s go.” 

They head for the bathroom, Alex using the toilet and then coming into the room to change into something to sleep in. Tobin is lying on the floor, watching her. As Alex takes off her sweatshirt, she hears Tobin. 

“Wooooooo!!!!” she howls, tail wagging at the sight of Alex’s bare top. 

“You are such a dork!” Alex laughs, turning back to change out of her yoga pants. 

“Ow! Ow! Aaroooh!” Tobin howls out, now sitting with her tail wagging, tongue to the side, panting happily. 

“Oh my God!” Alex laughs, heading in to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Tobin follows her in, nudging her legs, sniffing her ass and being obnoxious to her. 

Alex is laughing and scolding her, finding it hysterical. 

Tobin puts her paws up on the counter, pulling her mouth back to show her teeth as she turns her head from side to side, inspecting if they are clean. Alex laughs as grabs her toothbrush and begins brushing her own teeth. 

When she finishes, Tobin bats the brush from her hands, sending it bouncing and skittering across the floor. It slides to a stop behind the toilet. 

“Tobin!” Alex scolds, getting down on her knees to retrieve it. “I swear, you’re like a five year old getting riled up before bedtime!” Then she feels a paw on each of her hips, then Tobin rutting against her, grunting with each thrust as she humps her. 

“Tobin!” she squeals, laughing, scooting forward and twisting, trying to break free. Tobin releases her, woofing and yowling, falling onto her back, convulsing with what Alex can only assume is wolf laughter. She gets her toothbrush, standing and turning to face her. She points the toothbrush at her. “Bad wolf!” she says crossly, failing to fight the smile that’s threatening to overpower her. 

Tobin slowly sits, head down, eyes looking up at her remorsefully. Those eyes, Alex thinks, so beautiful. She’s beautiful, in any form. “What’s gotten in to you, huh?” she asks, shaking her head, she taps on her chest, “Come up here, Dorkball.” 

Tobin gently places her paws on her shoulders as she nuzzles her neck. Alex reaches around to hug her, inhaling her earthy scent that still has traces of Tobin in it. They stand there a few minutes. Tobin lifts her head, looking at Alex, her eyes roaming her features, then focusing to look at her. She wags her tail, wiggles her head, making her ears flop and gives her a quick lick on the cheek and hops down. 

After turning off lights and double checking doors were locked, Alex finds Tobin sitting on the bed, waiting for her to slide in. Once she does, Tobin nestles down next to her, sighing deeply. Alex turns on her side, bringing an arm out from under the covers to stroke her fur as she falls asleep. 

 

Thursday, October 6th   
3rd Day of the Full Moon 

 

Alex wakes suddenly to a disjointed scream, sitting up immediately, feeling the mattress shake. The room is still dark, a soft light entering through a slit from the drapes meet. She reaches to click on the bedside lamp, seeing Tobin convulsing on the bed. She’s close to being in human form, her arms outstretched as they elongate, legs, splayed out, lengthening as she flinches and coughs. Tobin’s head is thrown back, there’s movement under her skin in her throat, her mouth is open but no noise escapes. 

She starts to sputter, coughing, making these strangled, choking, painful noises, as the bones in her back crack loudly. It terrifies Alex to watch, seeing her like this, she can’t imagine the pain. Sweat has broken out all over her body, she’s trembling as her arms give out and she collapses to the mattress, breathing heavily and weeping. Alex slides out from under the covers, flinching at the cool air, turning the thermostat up a little and retrieving the thick blanket from the couch. 

She gets back in bed, Tobin is still trembling and weeping. Alex covers them both, snuggling close to her, holding her in her arms. She kisses her forehead, mumbling assurances she’s okay, she’s safe, as she slowly stops shaking, her breathing becoming smoother. 

She holds her until she feels Tobin’s body fall limp against her, her soft exhales on her neck. They both drift off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex performs the biopsies needed on Tobin while in wolf form. Alex figures out a treatment plan for Tobin to battle her condition. Tobin gets to meet Julie and Christen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, this chapter and the following ones will discuss cancer and treatments and stuff like that. I'm not a doctor, so if it's off, just go with it, okay? 
> 
> Also, I don't want to trigger anyone if they went through doing chemo or anything.

.

 

 

Thursday, October 5th  
2nd Day of the Full Moon 

 

 

“So, you’re going to let me sedate you, right?” Alex asks Tobin one more time, “Because I don’t think I can stand watching you in that much pain.” 

Tobin nods, “As long as you are certain it won’t affect the biopsies.” 

“It won’t at all, I promise,” she raises two fingers like a Boy Scout. 

Tobin shakes her head, “Alright, then,” she sighs, “I’m sorry for how this is dragging you down,” she says quietly, scratching at her neck. 

“It isn’t,” Alex replies swiftly, standing up from her desk and looking her in the eyes, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, right now.” 

“Well,” Tobin sighs, “I’d prefer not to be a werewolf, but, you know, whatever,” Tobin sighs, but there is a hint of a smile in her voice.

“You made quite the impression on Christen and Julie last night,” Alex grins, “they’re getting a dog now, and I think it’s because of how damn cute and obnoxious you were.” 

“Is that so?” Tobin nods, “What about you? You want a dog?” 

Alex shrugs, “I mean, yeah, but my hours are kind of crazy, so that wouldn’t fair to the animal.” 

Tobin nods, “Yeah,” 

“What about you?” she asks, “Would you like a dog?” 

“It’d be cool,” she grins. 

“What about kids?” Alex pursues, thinking it was a logical follow up question. 

“Well,” Tobin scratches at her neck again and Alex is beginning to think that’s one of her nervous tics, “I would like to have kids,” she replies slowly, there’s something in her tone that makes Alex curious. 

“But?” she leans forward, eying her. 

Tobin quirks her mouth, then sighs, “I’d probably adopt or have my partner carry.” She says quietly. 

Alex sits on the edge of her desk, “Why’s that?’ 

Tobin looks down, “I don’t want to risk having a were-baby or some _thing_ , like a monster if I were to carry and use my eggs.” Tobin looks up at her in horror. “Oh, God!” she exclaims, panic flashing in her eyes, “They said it was transmitted by blood, but what if it’s sexually transmitted too? Like AIDS?” she brings a hand to her forehead, pacing away from Alex, spinning quickly to face her, her eyes intense, boring into her, laced with horror. “What if I infected you? Oh, fuck!” she stomps around the small reception area of Alex’s clinic. 

A flash of panic races through Alex, is it possible it is sexually transmitted, she wonders. She instantly dismisses it, believing that the wolf pack would be told if such a thing were true. Tobin is still pacing, ranting about how stupid she is, working herself into an emotional meltdown. 

“Tobin!” Alex shouts loudly, sternly, getting her attention. She spins back to face her, her eyes wet, face blotchy from emotion. 

“Just stop,” Alex says, walking towards her, holding her shoulders, “stop.” She searches her face, seeing the remorse, the regret, the shame, all of the emotions she knows Tobin is feeling right now. “I do not believe it is transmitted by blood.” She states forcefully, “You would have been told that once you were converted.” 

“But” Tobin begins, stopping when Alex places a finger to her lips. 

“Ssshh,” Alex reassures her, “let’s go in the back room, I’ll do a quick blood prick and you’ll see under the microscope that I’m fine.” She takes Tobin’s hand and leads her to the exam room, using both hands to sit her in the chair. Confidently she strides to the cabinet, removing an alcohol wipe and the pin prick device. She opens the drawer and removes a slide and the cover, closing it to face her. 

“Watch,” she instructs, ripping open the swab, rubbing it on her left pinky finger, and pricking the skin. She massages her finger to produce a nice droplet, grabs the slide and smears in on. She covers the slide with the thin glass plate. 

She grabs Tobin’s hand, leading her to her private office. She sets the slide on the microscope tray, leaning over to put it in focus, swallowing gratefully when she sees all normal cells. She steps back and invites Tobin to look. 

Tobin peers into the microscope then looks up at her. 

“It’s completely normal, babe,” Alex says quietly, “I’m fine.” 

Tobin’s shoulders slump and she bows her head. Alex approaches her, hugging her. “I know you’re worried and upset about everything, babe,” she says quietly, “you keep getting so worked up, but you need to find a way to relax a bit.” She pulls back, looking at her, “It’s not healthy,” 

“You’re right,” Tobin sighs, “I’m sorry,” 

Alex nods, “Come on,” she says, “it’s time for you to get naked.” 

“Huh?” Tobin’s eyes go wide. 

Alex points to the wall clock, “It’s almost time and I need to get you set,”

“Oh,” Tobin nods, following her out of the room. 

Tobin sticks her arm, ready for the shot. 

“Now,” Alex states, “you’re going to be a little loopy for a while when you come out of this, so just relax, don’t try to walk much or anything, you’ll probably be dizzy as all get out.” 

“Yes, Doctor.” Tobin smiles. She’s lying on a pad with a blanket covering her on the floor in the exam room of the clinic. Alex will do the biopsies here and then they’ll go back to the house. 

“Ready?” Alex asks, looking as Tobin nods. She inserts the needle in and depresses the plunger. 

She watches as Tobin’s eyes grow glassy, looking up at her with a dopey grin, “I love you, Lex,” she sighs with a smile as her eyes close. Her eyes widen at Tobin’ statement, thinking for a second if she had just really said that. Yeah, she knows she said it to Tobin last night when she was a wolf, but Tobin hasn’t said anything and she’s not entirely sure if Tobin remembers everything while she is a wolf. 

They haven’t officially exchanged those words with each other yet, although Alex does love her. She thinks she’s waiting for a moment of stability, maybe once they get past this stage of unknowing, once they have a plan to treat Tobin’s condition with proven science. 

 

As a veterinarian, watching the transformation is fascinating, as a woman watching someone she loves, it is terrifying and heart wrenching. She jots down a few additional notes in her notebook, observing how Tobin’s movements are much more fluid, not as convulsive and jerky, seeing as she’s not fighting it. 

She straps on a heart rate monitor, applies an oxygen mask and gets to work. She rolls over the ultrasound unit, shaving away the fur on the locations she needs for the biopsies. 

Two hours later, Alex sits on the floor with her back against the wall. The steady beep of Tobin’s heart rate from the monitor fills the room, the hiss of the oxygen a minor chord. 

Getting a woozy wolf into her house was more challenging than Alex thought it would be. She ended up harnessing Tobin, using the top handle to help guide her the short distance between buildings. Tobin was stumbling, leaning as she walked, woofing and talking and stopping when distracted by a smell or something Alex couldn’t see in the dark. 

Once in the house, Alex led her to the couch, helping her get up on it, giggling as she tumbled awkwardly on it, head sideways, belly up, paws swaying in the air. Once Alex got herself a drink, she comes to the couch, setting the glass on the side table, pulling the ottoman close and grabbing the blanket. 

When she settles in, Tobin flops to her side, legs dangling off the couch, tongue hanging out, eyes glassy, looking high as fuck. Alex pulls her close, then lifts her head as she sits down, letting Tobin’s head rest on her lap. Tobin makes a groaning noise of contentment, sighing as Alex works the blanket over her as well. 

 

 

Friday, October 6th  
3rd Day of Full Moon 

 

Alex had set her alarm, making sure she was awake to distribute a sedation before Tobin transformed back into her human form. She just couldn’t bear to see her in such pain again. She hoped Tobin would understand, she hoped she wouldn’t be mad because they hadn't discussed, but she felt it was the best thing to do for her. 

When Tobin awoke, dazed and confused, she just smiled at Alex. “I’m so tired,” she murmurs, she whispered, giving her a crooked grin as she shut her eyes again, falling asleep. 

Alex called Allie and told her she was staying at home until Tobin was up and feeling better, saying she was sick and had had a bad night and wasn’t feeling that great. Allie told her to stay, she would call her when their first appointment came in. 

Tobin awoke as she was getting dressed, preparing to head over to the clinic. “Hey,” she says sleepily, “what time is it?” 

“Almost ten,” Alex replies, sitting on the bed to put her socks on, “how are you feeling?” 

“Like really tired,” Tobin replies, rubbing her face with her hands, then yawning, “did you drug me or something?” 

“I did,” Alex replies quietly, hoping it’s alright. 

“Oh,” Tobin sighs, “that’s why I’m not so sore,” she groans as she stretches under the covers. 

Alex slips her shoes on and stands, “Babe,” she says, leaning over the side of the bed, “just go back to sleep and relax,” she kisses her softly, “you’ll probably be a little sore from the biopsies. Just take it easy, okay?” 

“Mmmhhhumm,” Tobin mumbles, “good idea,” she agrees, turning to lay on her side. Alex strokes her hair, pulling it from her face and hooking lose strands behind her ear. 

Alex takes a deep breath, then sighs and leaves the room, gathering her jacket, purse and backpack, making to sure to lock the door as she walks over to the clinic. 

“What’s wrong?” Allie asks as soon as she sees her, setting down some bandages to restock the exam room. 

“Nothing,” Alex replies, busying herself with looking at the patient schedule for the day. She nods when she sees there’s nothing on it after one o’clock. She turns to Allie, “Let’s not schedule anything for the afternoon unless it’s serious, okay?” 

“Is Tobin okay?” Allie asks tilting her head. 

Alex shrugs, “She wasn’t feeling that great, didn’t get much sleep,” Alex confesses, “I think she may be getting a migraine.” 

Allie grimaces, “That’s no fun,” she says, “she get them all the time?” 

“Nah,” Alex replies, turning to face her, “usually just a couple of times a month.” 

The door opens and they both rise to greet the man and his puppy, soon getting in the rhythm of the work day. 

When Alex returns to her house, it’s quiet. It’s a little after one and she’s hungry, she opts to check on Tobin and see if she’s up. 

The room is dim and Alex can see the lump Tobin makes on the bed. She kicks her shoes off and slides into bed over the covers. She edges close to Tobin who is on her side facing her. 

“Hey baby,” Alex calls out, rubbing Tobin’s shoulder, “can you wake up?” 

Tobin shifts, groaning softly, rubbing her head against the pillow. 

“Come on, babe,” Alex encourages her, rubbing her shoulder a little more forcefully. 

Tobin sniffs, her eyes moving under her lids, then they flutter open. “Hi,” Tobin say, her voice soft and sleep filled, “are you home for lunch early?” 

Alex smiles at her, moving her hand to caress her cheek, “No, baby, I’m home for the day,” she replies, “have you been sleeping all day?” 

Tobin blinks at her, “What time is it?” 

“It’s after one,” Alex says gently, still touching her gently. 

“Oh man,” Tobin mumbles, shifting her legs, bringing a hand up to rub her eyes, “I was out,” she shifts again and groans as she stretches her legs, “I’m still so sleepy,” her voice is scratchy and rough. 

“You should get up,” Alex suggests, “you should eat something,” 

Tobin nods as she closes her eyes again, “Oh no you don’t,” Alex informs her, poking her side, “get up.” 

“Ugh!” Tobin exclaims, rolling to her back, “okay, okay,” she assures her, “I’m up.” 

“Good, because my next step would be tickling you,” Alex smirks at her, now kneeling up, “I’ll make you something to eat, meet me in the kitchen.” 

“Okay,” Tobin agrees, “thank you,” she flips the covers off, slowly swinging her legs over, “I’ll be out soon.” 

Alex decides to make her breakfast, mostly because she feels confident she won’t screw it up and also so it wasn’t anything heavy for when Tobin transforms again. 

 

Alex is steeping tea for Tobin when she comes out about twenty minutes later, wearing a baggy sweatshirt and sweats, her hair damp and feet bare. 

“Thank you so much,” Tobin says gratefully, kissing Alex as she accepts the mug of hot tea. 

Alex eats with her, sharing her day, telling her about the cute puppy she met and how Allie got peed on. 

The rest of the afternoon is quiet, Tobin on her laptop, doing some work, and Alex scheduling her trip to the national convention for veterinarians. She accepts the invitation to speak, her stomach tightening, nerves springing up. She calmed herself, knowing her material was impeccable and knowing she would be fine with her presentation. 

Tobin agrees to be sedated again, admitting she was still sore from the other night. The night passes quickly, Tobin sleeping most of the time. 

Alex is petting her as she lies on the bed next to her, wondering about all the nights Tobin had to transform, following the pack, obeying their directions. What horrors had she seen. What pain she had gone through. How lonely she was. 

How amazing that she still clung to her faith, even when she felt like giving up, even when she was making her plans to kill herself. How terribly sad she must have felt. To be disconnected from her family, keeping them at arm’s length for their own safety. 

She makes a note to herself to get on Tobin to call her family, especially now that she wasn’t going out with the pack. She’d tell her to invite them here to see her. 

Alex wraps her arm against Tobin’s warm fur, fur that’s surprisingly soft and smooth. She sighs deeply, feeling sad and aching to be the one to bring happiness to her. She prays to God that she can find a solution to Tobin’s condition. Some form of treatment that won’t be debilitating or radical. 

 

Saturday, October 7th  
1st Day of Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

Alex spent most of the morning at the empty clinic, pouring over the slides of Tobin’s biopsies. She marveled at the anomalies she found in her human samples, discovering it was actually part wolf cells when she viewed Tobin’s other biopsy. 

Tobin was sleeping, being loopy and tired from the morning sedation Alex gave her before her transformation. She’d left her a note, just in case she woke up disoriented and wondering where Alex was. 

According to the research on humans and her own experience treating animals, her calculations for the medication for Tobin to use would be 100 milligrams of cyclophosphamide that she could take orally. Around four to six weeks they could expect to see a difference. 

Tobin insisted that Alex create a patient chart before she did the first set of biopsies, presenting her with the driver’s license of one of her alias’ she had. She laughed when she saw Alex listing the patient as a three year old female husky/wolf mix by the name of Dorkball. 

She gave her a credit card as well, insisting that she pay and there be a proper legal paper chain, just in case she was audited for her books or the drugs dispensed. Everything, from the blood tests to the biopsies to the scans and medications would be on the up and up and appear legitimate. 

Alex created a prescription for Tobin under the alias, sending it over to the nearest Walgreen’s. She was hoping she could convince Tobin to go out for lunch, at least get her out of the house for a few hours before her migraine started. 

She also wanted her to start her treatment today and get a pill in her as soon as possible. 

 

Tobin looks at the pill for a minute before swallowing it down with her water. “So, I guess it’s goodbye hair,” she mutters, scrunching her mouth. 

They’re at Glenn’s place waiting for their cheeseburgers. 

“It’s not always the case, babe,” Alex tries to reassure her, “everyone’s body responds differently to chemo, you might not lose your hair.” 

Tobin looks at her for a moment, then nods, a quick, forced smile on her face, “I guess I’ll need to just think positive.” 

“Yes,” Alex nods, “and when you’re not feeling it, I’ll remind you,” 

Tobin looks at her with affection, “Thanks,” 

“Hey!” a hand clamps on Alex’s shoulder, causing her turn and look up, “Abby!” she greets. 

“I thought it was you,” Abby smiles at her and then Tobin, “Abby Wambach, I’m a vet with Alex’s group.” 

Tobin stands up, extending a hand, “Tobin Heath,” she smiles at her, “I’m Alex’s girlfriend.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Abby shakes her hand and then sends a questioning glance to Alex. 

Alex just smiles at her. 

Glenn delivers their plates, elbowing Abby out of his way, “Abs, you hungry?” 

“Nah,” Abby replies, “I just wanted to see if Marisol was here,” 

“She’s working tonight,” he replies, smiling at her, “smitten, are we?” 

Abby blushes, “Shut up.” 

He laughs and walks away. 

“Marisol?” Alex asks, grinning at her. 

“Not you, too,” Abby grumbles, “I gotta go,” she turns to Tobin, “let’s get together and tip a few?” 

“Sounds good,” Tobin nods. 

“So, that’s Abby,” Tobin smiles as she brings her burger to her mouth, taking a bite. Alex nods as she chews. “Seems cool,” Tobin’s voice is muffled by the food she’s chewing. 

“She’s the best,” Alex nods, “you two will get along perfectly.” 

Tobin grins at her and takes another bite. 

 

 

Friday, October 13th  
3rd Day of Last Quarter Moon 

 

“It’s so nice to meet you!” Christen gushes at Tobin, unexpectantly pulling her in for a hug. 

“You too!” Tobin enthuses when they break free. 

“I’m Julie, Christen’s wife,” Julie extends her hand, “it’s nice to finally meet you,” 

“You too,” Tobin grins, “I feel like I know you already know you with how much Alex talks about you guys,” 

“We could say the same,” Christen giggles, hugging Alex. 

 

“Who cooked?” Julie asks as they head to the kitchen, eying Alex warily. 

Alex gives her an evil eye right back, “Tobin.” 

Julie relaxes, smiling brightly at Tobin, “I can’t wait to eat!” 

Tobin looks confused, glancing at Alex and the other two as she heads to the island, “Um, am I missing something?” 

Christen starts to giggle, Alex punches her in the arm, “We will not talk about that,” she warns her. 

Julie moves from the table to stand next to Tobin, “Let me help, what can I do?” 

“Uh, stir the rice and then cut the pork roast after a couple of minutes?” Tobin offers. 

Julie nods, “On it,” 

Christen and Alex are at the table, taking quietly. 

Tobin begins to saute some fresh vegetables, using a little olive oil and some sea salt. 

Julie nudges her, “So, did Alex tell you she’s not much of a cook?” she questions quietly. 

Tobin nods, “Yeah, she said she wasn’t all that great.” 

Julie nods knowingly at her, “Did she tell you about the Easter Disaster?” 

Tobin’s eyes go wide as she looks up at the blond who is smirking back at her. “No,” 

“Alex hosted an Easter dinner and egg hunt for a bunch of us the second year she was back. Jeri had gone back to visit their family, but Alex stayed to work,” Julie shares. She glances over Tobin’s shoulder, seeing Alex and Christen animatedly talking, “Three of us went to the ER with food poisoning.” 

Tobin gasps, clamping her hand over her mouth, “What?” she whispers, muffled from her hand. 

Julie begins to slice the pork roast, nodding at Tobin, “It was the worst night of my life,” she grimaces, “me and Christen were only dating for a couple of months and it was, like, our first holiday together.” She shakes her head, “I was so sick, it was so embarrassing,” she stops, “there’s fruit in here?” 

Tobin is looking at her, a horrified expression on her face. 

“What are you telling her Julie?” Alex sharply demands, glaring at her. 

“She looks terrified.” Christen whispers, sipping her wine. 

“Nothing!” Julie smiles brightly at them, “Dinner is almost ready, right Tobs?” 

“Ah, yeah,” Tobin bobs her head, “sure, Jules,” she grins as she uses her nickname right back. Julie appreciatively nudges her shoulder, now placing a piece of pork with the fruit and juices on each plate. The two work together to get the meal complete and bring them to the table. Alex fetches the bottle of wine, refilling Christen’s glass and pouring some for Julie. 

Tobin has a glass of milk, not wanting to drink during her chemo treatment. 

“This looks amazing,” Christen comments as she looks over her plate, “is this Asian?” 

“More like Hawaiian,” Tobin replies, “kind of like a poor man’s luau.” 

“What was it wrapped in?” Julie asks, taking a bite. 

“Banana leaves,” Tobin answers as she starts to eat. 

“Where the heck do you find banana leaves in this town?” Christen questions, leaning forward with curiosity. 

“Well, when I realized the town has twenty-eight percent population of Asian descent, I knew I could find an authentic market,” Tobin explains, shrugging as if it was no big deal. 

“Did I mention that Tobin is a numbers nerd?” Alex laughs, rubbing Tobin’s back. 

“No,” Julie shakes her head, “but I don’t care, this is amazing!” 

“It really tastes like the food from the one luau I went to when I was in Hawaii,” Christen marvels. 

Tobin smiles, nodding as she eats. Alex is happy to see her with an appetite, having taking her meds for a week now, Tobin is experiencing a little bit of nausea and a lack of appetite. Happily, those have been the only side effects to show up yet. 

Alex notes, that while Tobin is engaged and present for this, she does seem tired. She had informed Christen that Tobin was undergoing treatment for lymphoma, with Tobin’s consent, so they had an idea that she wasn’t feeling a hundred percent. 

Christen insisted that they change their original plans and not go to the bar, instead, spending an evening in, just hanging out. She even offered to cook or pay to order in food, but Alex told her that Tobin would be excited to make dinner and she didn’t want to take that away from her. 

Christen understood, knowing how important it was for patients to not alter what they normally do just because they’re in treatment. It could fuck with the mind and send them into depression. 

The four have a nice dinner, Tobin getting to know both of the women, being careful to keep the facts she knows about them from her research to herself, learning how Julie works in market research, engaging her with some of the computer side of things she knows. Christen speaks fondly about her job, how fulfilling it is to help sick children. She specializes in pediatric cancer. 

Tobin decides to just face it and share with them, not wanting any of them to feel like they can’t discuss what’s she’s going through. 

“I’m just happy that the meds seem to be agreeing with me for the most part,” she shares, “just feeling a little nauseous,” 

Christen nods, “That might escalate,” she warns, “but your chemo cycle is only for, what, six weeks?”

Tobin nods. 

“Next week,” Christen nods, “if you’re going to have any other side effects, they’ll probably start next week,” 

Tobin rolls her eyes, “Terrific,” she sighs, then looks up and glances at the three. She grabs her glass, grins at them and lifts it up, “Here’s to some good mojo and no new side effects!” 

Alex sits her hand on Tobin’s thigh, raising her glass, “Here, here,” she says, leaning over to kiss her cheek. 

Christen and Julie raise their glasses as well, “To good mojo,” Julie says, nodding at Tobin. 

“To no new side effects,” Christen adds, smiling warmly at her. 

They all take a drink. 

 

“Let’s just chill and watch a movie,” Christen insists, glancing to side eye Tobin and seeing her tiredness. 

“Well,” Alex announces tossing the dish towel on the counter and walking to the living room, Julie watching amused as Tobin grabs it and hangs it on the oven handle neatly, “there’s only one movie to watch tonight!” she announces, grabbing the remote. 

“And what is that?” Tobin drawls, settling herself on the couch. 

“Friday the 13th.” Alex grins at her. Tobin rolls her eyes, smiling at her, “Of course,” she nods. 

“Spooky movie, spooky movie,” Julie chants excitedly as she grabs the blanket off the back of the loveseat, patting the cushion beside her for Christen. Christen sets both wine glasses she’s carrying down on the side table next to Julie, then pushes the small ottoman in front of the loveseat. 

“Does anyone want popcorn?” Alex asks as she cues up the movie. 

“I couldn’t eat another bite,” Julie laments, “Tobin, that was an outstanding meal.” 

“Aw, thanks,” Tobin blushes. 

“Like, seriously,” Julie continues, “I would have paid to eat that in a restaurant,” she insists. 

“Same,” Christen agrees, then gets a look on her face, “we should do a luau here in the summer!” 

“Yes!” Julie cheers, “We could wear outfits, have contests.” 

“We could bring our tent and camp in the pasture!” Christen enthuses. 

Tobin glances at Alex, raising an eyebrow. Alex returns the look. Tobin grins, “I’ve always wanted to roast a pig,” she says, turning to grin at Julie and Christen, “either of you guys know how to make Mai Tais?” 

“Oooh! Yes!” Julie squeals, “And Blue Hawaiians!” 

“We’ve got an awesome blender,” Christen smiles, snuggling in next to Julie, “and I’m sure Dr. Sauerbrunn would let us borrow her ice machine.” 

“Oh,” Alex laughs, “we’d have to invite her, she’s crazy!” She pushes the large ottoman close to the couch, Tobin smiling as she puts her feet up. Tobin opens the blanket for Alex as she slides in next to her, bringing the blanket over her legs. Tobin reaches and turns off the table lamp, sending the room into darkness. 

The credits begin roll, Tobin giggles as Alex snuggles closer. 

“Chi, chi, chi, ah, ah, ah,” Julie heaves in a stage whisper, poking Christen under the covers making her squeal. 

Tobin shifts and slouches into the couch, leaning her head back on the cushion, intertwining her fingers with Alex’s. Alex lays her head on Tobin’s shoulder, “I haven’t seen this for years,” she says quietly. 

“I’ve never seen it,” Tobin replies. Alex raises her eyebrows at her. Tobin shrugs, giving her a smile. 

It doesn’t take long for Alex to figure out why Tobin hasn’t seen the movie, she jumps at every turn, flinching every time somethings happens on screen. It doesn’t take long for Tobin to just twist herself sideways and bury her head into Alex’s chest. Alex wraps her arm around Tobin to hold her, a little upset that they’d never discussed that she was scared of scary movies. She feels bad, but loves how Tobin just goes with it. And she kinda loves the feeling of holding Tobin. 

The movie is just past halfway over and Alex can feel Tobin grow heavier against her. She looks over and sees that she’s sleeping. Her part of the blanket has slipped down, exposing her shoulders and torso, so Alex uses her free hand to pull it up and tuck it in. 

 

Alex’s arm is somewhat trapped behind Tobin’s body and she doesn’t exactly want to move anyway when Christen clicks on the light next to the loveseat when the movie is over. 

“Aw,” Julie gushes, seeing the two on the couch, she whips out her phone and takes a photo, “you two are so cute.” 

Alex gives her the finger and glares at her, “She’s tired,” she says quietly, “I don’t think she’s been letting on how tired it makes her.” 

“Speaking of which,” Julie says, “I’m a little tired too, so I’m going to change and get comfy,” she leaves to head to the guest room. 

Christen sits on the other side of Alex on the couch, “I know you know what you’re in for with this,” she says quietly, “but it’s going to be hard,” 

Alex nods, “I know,” she says, “it’s already different,” she admits, “I mean I loved Jeri, but she was my sister,” she sighs, looking up at Christen. “I love her so much, I hate seeing her in any pain,” 

Christen lays her hand on Alex’s leg, “You’ll take great care of her,” she says seriously, “and you’re strong enough to do it.” Then she points her finger at her, “But you take some time for yourself, okay? No burning yourself out. If you need help or a break, you let me know.” 

Alex nods, she’s too choked up to speak. Christen realizes it as well, smiling at her, “Get her to bed and we’ll meet up for some ice cream,” She pats her leg again and stands and leaves to the guest room. 

Grateful that Christen is so perceptive to her emotions, Alex takes a moment to clear her eyes and collect herself. 

She rubs Tobin’s arm, “Baby, let’s go to bed,” she says softly, shifting her hand to rub her back now. 

“I hafta do the dishes,” Tobin mumbles into her chest, pulling back off Alex and wiping at her face. 

“We did the dishes, babe,” Alex gently reminds her, “come on, let’s get you in bed,” 

“Oh,” she looks at her, “right,” she shakes her head, “I think I was dreaming or something,” 

Alex stands up and extends her hand to her, Tobin clasping it and allowing Alex to pull her up. 

She yawns as she follows Alex, “Is everyone in bed?” 

“No,” Alex replies, going to the dresser and opening the drawer of Tobin’s sleepwear, setting out a t-shirt and shorts and tossing them on the bed, “we’re going to stay up a bit,” 

“Oh, I can stay up,” Tobin offers as she heads to the bathroom, shutting the door. A minute goes by and Alex hears the toilet flush and Tobin’s head pops out, she’s looking more awake, but still very tired. “I can,” 

Alex shakes her head, “Babe,” she says as she enters the bathroom, Tobin now brushing her teeth, “just go to sleep, it won’t be good for you to get overtired,” 

Tobin’s shoulders slump a little, and she sighs, a couple of foamy bubbles escaping her mouth and dribbling on her chin and then nods slowly, her eyes watching Alex in the reflection of the mirror. 

“They’ll be around tomorrow morning and early afternoon, we’ll do lunch with them before they head back to the city.” 

“Okay,” Tobin replies as she wipes her face with a hand towel, “will you tell them I said goodnight?” 

“Sure,” Alex smiles at her, following her out of the bathroom, changing into sweats and a sweatshirt as Tobin tosses the covers back on the bed. 

Tobin sits on the edge of the bed, “Where do you want to do lunch tomorrow? Glenn’s?” 

Alex sits next to her, “Probably,” she says, “actually, definitely, they love the burgers.” 

“Okay,” Tobin leans over and kisses her lips, “goodnight, babe,” 

Alex smiles against her lips, placing her hand on the back of Tobin’s neck, pulling her in for another kiss. This one, deeper, more urgent. “Wake me if you can’t sleep,” she winks at her, standing up. 

Tobin slides in bed, grinning at her, “Wake me if you’re horny when you come to bed,” she smirks. 

“Maybe I will,” Alex teases, clicking off the light, “I’ll see you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and supportive comments. 
> 
> Gotta say, still salty over the NWSL final. Heart breaks for Portland, NC was just too good. Glad it was pretty clean and not the slug fest of last year.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin tells her family that she's sick. Her family comes to visit and meet Alex. The two girls go to a Halloween party thrown by Mrs. H.

Sunday, October 22nd   
2nd Day of Waxing Crescent Moon 

 

“I’m excited your family is coming for Thanksgiving,” Alex gives her a quick smile from the driver’s seat. Tobin is coming along on a call to a farm to visit a sick cow. 

“Me too,” Tobin smiles at her, then she frowns, “they’re gonna freak when they see me.” 

“Why don’t you just Facetime your Mom and tell her?” Alex questions, thinking it would make the holiday less stressful. 

“I was thinking maybe I should,” Tobin agrees, “her and Perry.” 

“What would you tell them?” 

Tobin scratches at her arm, “I was thinking maybe of saying I got exposed to something on the case I was on,” she shrugs, “leave it vague.” Alex nods, it would be convincing. 

“I would tell them I couldn’t talk about it, due to security reasons,” Tobin continues, “and then tell them about the cancer treatment.” 

“If they want to come back and stay, you know, when you tell them, it’s absolutely fine.” Alex insists, “I mean it.” 

“I know,” Tobin squeezes her hand, “thank you.” 

“And,” Alex begins slowly, knowing she should say this as well, “if you want to stay with them during this, I would understand.” 

Tobin is biting her lower lip, looking forward blankly. Her foot begins to bounce on the floorboard of the car. 

Oh, fuck, Alex thinks, pulling over to the side of the two lane road. She turns to face her. “Tobin,” she says earnestly, “I don’t want you to think the wrong thing, okay?” 

Tobin nods slowly, “Okay,” she replies, the uncertainty betraying the calm demeanor she’s trying to pull off. 

“I know we haven’t talked about, like, super long term stuff,” Alex says, rubbing Tobin’s hand in hers, “but I mean it when I say this.” She swallows and takes a deep breath, letting it out. 

She looks right Tobin, making sure they have eye contact. 

“I love you.” She says, trying to stay calm, “And I know we haven’t talked about marriage or anything, because I know it’s too soon and I know it’s because you’re scared about the future,” she says, “if the chemo doesn’t work. I get that, I do.” 

She takes another deep breath, letting it out and breaking into a soft smile, “I want to take care of you. In sickness and in health. I’m willing to risk my heart for you, Tobin. I want to wake up next to you every day for a very long time.” 

Alex sees the tears in Tobin’s eyes, reaching over to lovingly cup the side of her jaw, “I want you here, with me. I do.” She says earnestly, “I won’t be offended if you want your Mom and you want to stay with her.” 

Tobin closes her eyes and nods, her head nuzzling in to Alex’s hand. She lets out a stifled cry and looks up at her, sniffing, tears now streaming down her face. She looks a Alex with a mixture of devotion tinged with sadness, “I love you, too,” she says, her voice cracking. 

“I thought it might be too much,” she says unevenly, “I thought with you going through it with Jeri, it might just be too hard,” 

Alex tries to move closer, held back by her seatbelt, she untangles herself from it, launching herself nearly onto Tobin’s lap. 

“No, no, no,” she says, holding Tobin’s head and stroking her hair, “for a long time, I only saw the tragedy while I was taking care of Jeri.” She says, “You taught me that it was a gift, a gift of time and having the amazing chance to say all of the things I ever wanted to her, to be able to tell her how much I loved her.” 

“It would be my privilege to have you here.” Alex says urgently, “To take care of you. I love you.” 

“You have to promise me something,” Tobin says, sniffing and wiping her eyes roughly, “you have to promise, it if gets bad,” her voice trembles, “if it gets bad for you,” she takes a breath, “you have to tell me.” 

She holds both of Alex’s hands in hers, squeezing them, “If it gets to be too much, you have to tell me.” 

Alex nods, “I will,” she hugs her tightly, “I promise,” she says, feeling Tobin’s shuddering cries against her. 

“I’m so scared, Lex,” she cries, her breath hitching. Alex brings their foreheads together, both of them closing their eyes. 

“We’ve got great science on our side, babe,” Alex says, “and you’re only feeling just a couple of side effects from the meds. You’ve got just a little over three more weeks left. You’re strong, you can do this.” 

Tobin is still crying, trying to control it, but not having much luck. Alex has never seen her this vulnerable before. 

Alex draws her head back, using both of her hands to hold Tobin’s face, making her look up at her. “We’ll find something to make you feel better, I’ll ask about finding some edibles, I know yours are almost gone.” 

“I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Tobin hedges, sniffing, “I could probably hack in to somewhere and get them.” 

Alex shakes her head, “I know a lot of people around here,” she insists, “I’m sure I could get something.” 

Tobin looks down, sniffing and getting her breath back. Then she looks up at Alex, “Okay,” she says, Alex marveling at how Tobin transforms from such a mess into this amazing quiet determination. 

“I can do it,” she nods, “I can do it with you,” 

Alex nods with her, “We’ll do it together,” 

“Okay,” Tobin agrees, “okay.” She takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, “I love you, Lex,” 

“I love you,” Alex responds, kissing her once more. She moves off Tobin, laughing when she feels Tobin’s hands on her ass, giving her a push back into her seat. 

As Alex adjusts into her seat and pulls her seatbelt over to fasten, Tobin hands her a couple of tissues she found in the glove compartment. 

 

 

“Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” Tobin greets as their faces appear on the screen of her iPad. Tobin and Alex are on the couch, just back from the sick cow visit. It blew Tobin’s mind how big the cow actually was. It blew Alex’s mind how Tobin persuaded the cow to stay calm during the exam and subsequent injection of antibiotics.

“Tobin! And Alex!”” They reply in unison. 

“How are you kids doing?” her Dad asks. 

“Pretty good, how are you guys?” Tobin replies. 

“Just fine,” her Mom smiles, “looking forward to seeing you both for Thanksgiving,”

“We are too,” Alex grins, “uh, we may need a little help with the turkey.” 

“Oh, I’m sure between me and your Mother, we’ll figure it out just fine, dear,” Cindy dismisses, “we could have pizza for all I care, I just want to spend time with you two.” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tobin’s Dad shakes his head, “I was kind of looking forward to a turkey,” he grins.

“Sweetie,” her Mom says, scrutinizing her gaze at Tobin, “are you feeling alright? You don’t look well,” 

Tobin grimaces and feels Alex take a hold of her hand, “Well, Mom, Dad,” she pauses, “I’m not.” She says, frowning at them, “That’s why I wanted to talk to you.” 

“You’re sick?” Her Dad asks, alarmed. Tobin nods solemnly. 

“Honey, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me,” her Mom says a little frantically. 

“I’m sick, you guys,” Tobin states, her voice trembling slightly, “I, uh, I have about four more weeks of chemo and then I might have a stem cell transplant after that.” 

“What!” Her Dad shouts, “What happened? Why didn’t you” Tobin and Alex see Cindy place her hand on Jeff’s arm. 

“Sweetie,” she says, her voice uneven, “what is it? Is it cancer, honey?” 

“Lymphoma,” Tobin replies, nodding her head and sniffing. 

“Oh,” Her Mom lets out a strangled cry, tears streaming from her eyes. 

“Honey,” her Dad says, his voice uneven. 

“She’s doing really good,” Alex states, taking the iPad from Tobin’s shaky hands, “she’s just having some normal side effects from the meds, like being nauseous and not having much of an appetite. But she’s tolerating it well for the most part.” 

“What stage is it?” Jeff asks, wiping his eyes, “How bad?” 

“Between two and three,” Alex answers, “it was caught early, she has a really good prognosis,” 

“When will the stem cell thing happen?” her Mom asks, “I want to be there,” 

“It will depend on her blood counts, after this round of chemo, she might not need it.” Alex explains. Her and Tobin had discussed it before this call that under no circumstances would Tobin want her family here for any doctor visits or procedures. Especially since Alex was the one managing this, they didn’t want to have to answer any questions why a veterinarian was treating her illness. 

“We can let you know,” Tobin says, regaining her composure. 

“How did this happen?” Her Dad asks, “Were you feeling sick?” 

Tobin looks down for a moment, nodding her head, “I kind of got exposed to something on this last case I was working,” she explains, “I can’t talk about it for security reasons, but the case is closed and I’m not involved with it anymore.” 

“Tobin,” her Dad chides, “that’s not good enough.” 

Tobin runs a hand through her hair, “Dad,” she sighs, “I really can’t talk about it. It was a very high security thing, that turned into something even more involved. I got caught in the crossfire and that’s it.” 

Cindy is crying softly, her head leaning against Jeff’s chest, “Oh honey,” she says, “can we come see you?” 

Tobin’s eyes flick to Alex, “Of course you can,” Alex offers, “you would be welcome to stay here for your visit.” 

“Did you get them?” Her Dad asks suddenly, cutting off Cindy as she opens her mouth, “Did you get the people that did this you?” 

“The threat was eliminated.” Tobin’s voice is clipped. 

“Have you told Perry?” her Mom asks, still sniffling. 

“No,” Tobin says softly. 

“Tobin,” she says, “you need to tell her,” 

“I know,” Tobin sighs, “she’s just gonna be so upset.” 

Alex’s phone rings, her business alert. “Excuse me, I have to take this,” she apologizes. 

“Okay, honey,” Cindy smiles, “it was nice seeing you.” 

“You too,” Alex says as she slides away from Tobin on the couch, answering quietly as she walks towards her room. 

“She’s seems so lovely, dear,” her Mom says to Tobin with a smile. 

Tobin smiles widely, “Mom, Dad,” she says, “she’s amazing. She’s really been there for me. I love her.”

“So, it’s really serious?” her Dad questions. 

Tobin nods, “I think after I get through this, I’m gonna stay here.” 

“Are you still going to do your investigative work?” her Mom asks nervously. 

Tobin shakes her head, “I have another career in mind,” she smiles again, “I don’t want to jinx it though.” 

“Nothing dangerous?” Her Dad wants to know. 

Again, Tobin shakes her head, “Nah, I think I’m done with that now.” She sees both of her parents visibly relax. 

“So, how are you feeling?” her Mom asks, much more calmly now. 

“Just tired and kind of nauseous and not too hungry.” Tobin replies, “But I, um, I’m using something to help with that.” 

“Marijuana?” her Dad asks, surprising Tobin, who’s eyes shoot wide open. 

“Well, uh, yeah,” she replies sheepishly. 

“Is it working?” He asks, “Is it helping?” 

“Um,” she nods, “it is.” 

“Tobin, will you tell us where you are, so I can book our flights?” Her Mom asks, her voice nearly pleading, her eyes looking hopeful. 

Alex pokes her head into Tobin’s view, she’s putting her jacket on and mouthing to her she has a house call. Tobin nods at her and then looks back at the screen. 

Tobin nods, “I’m sorry for just dropping this on you, but I wanted you to know. I didn’t want to ruin Thanksgiving.” 

Tobin pulls out her phone and texts them the main airport in the city and Alex’s address. “I could pick you guys up, if you want,” she adds. 

They talk for over an hour and cry a bit, Tobin missing them very badly. She’s relieved that the threat for them is over, she just prays that this works so can resume her normal life. 

Her Mom insists that Tobin contact Perry next, so they could coordinate their upcoming visit. Tobin promises she will. 

When they end the call, Tobin sits in place, crying. After a few minutes, she composes herself, wiping away her tears, taking a drink of water and calming herself. She takes a deep breath and clicks on Perry’s contact info, pressing her finger to send a Facetime call. 

“Tobin!” Perry greets, excitedly, shifting in her chair, “Hey there!” 

“Hey,” Tobin greets, her voice subdued. 

Perry studies her face, her smile slowly sliding away as she looks at her. “You’re sick,” She whispers, “are you dying?” 

Tears spring to Tobin’s eyes, even though she’s shaking her head, “No,” she says, her voice trembling, “I’m gonna beat this.” 

 

 

When Alex returns two hours later, she finds Tobin on the couch, lying on her side, asleep. She drapes a blanket over her, noting that she her eyebrows are scrunched down and her forehead is creased, as if she isn’t completely resting. 

She thinks she’ll try to convince Tobin to eat a little something when she wakes, so she opens the pantry door and looks around. She smiles when she sees the jar of peanut butter and grabs that and the loaf of bread. 

 

 

“It was really hard, babe,” Tobin says as she eats her PB and J sandwich, “talking to Perry was worse than my parents.” 

“I can imagine,” Alex quietly comments, “do you want an edible?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “I’ll get one in a little bit,” she smiles at her, “I want to make us something good for dinner tonight.” 

Alex wiggles her eyebrows at her, “I’d have a one too, but I’m on call,” 

Tobin leans over and gives her a quick kiss, “Maybe tomorrow,” she grins at her. 

“So, they’re coming in on Thursday night and leaving Saturday morning,” Tobin informs her. 

“Okay,” Alex smiles, “I’m not on call that weekend, perfect!” She slings an arm around her, “I can’t wait to meet them,” 

Tobin smiles widely at her, “I can’t wait for them to meet you.” She kisses her, “And we can still go to the party at Mrs. H.’s Saturday night.” Tobin looks at Alex and sees her face, reading her expression and anticipating what she might say, “I’ll nap right after they leave so I won’t be too tired, I promise.” 

“Okay,” Alex smiles, “we can play it by ear, no worries.”

 

 

Thursday, October 26th   
1st Day of First Quarter Moon 

 

Tobin sobs in the arms of her Mother as she hugs her tightly, her knees nearly buckling. Her Dad and Perry surround the two, making a tight circle. Alex hangs back, standing at the kitchen island, not feeling uncomfortable, but grateful to witness this moment of love. 

It takes about ten minutes before the group breaks apart, wiping eyes and speaking quietly before Tobin turns and looks expectantly at Alex. She nods and tilts her head, indicating Alex should come over. She’s hands Perry a hanger and takes her Mom’s coat, hanging it up in the closet. 

“Mom, Dad, Perry,” Tobin says, beaming with pride as Alex walks over, “I’d like you to meet Dr. Alexandra Morgan, DVM.” 

“Alex,” she blushes, extending a hand to Mr. Heath and instead getting pulled in for a hug. She notes that Tobin hugs the same way, it’s a strong hug that makes you feel safe.   
Alex learns that all of the Heath’s are huggers. They’re a very tactile family, using physical touch to convey their affection. It doesn’t take long at all for Alex to feel completely comfortable with all of them. They’re tremendously nice people. 

 

 

Saturday, October 28th   
3rd Day of the First Quarter Moon 

 

“Are you sure you want to go?” Alex asks once again, looking Tobin over. 

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” Tobin insists, “I want to go.” 

“You don’t have to dress up,” Alex offers, “just wear whatever.” 

“Oh, and you’ll be Little Red Riding Hood with no wolf?” Tobin grins at her, pulling at her wolf onesie and stepping close and hugging her. It’s designed to be baggie so it covers   
her weight loss pretty well. “I promise to let you know if it’s too much, okay?” 

Alex nods, holding her, her head on her shoulder, wincing as she feels the bones in her spine. Tobin has been nauseous for the last two weeks, not eating much of anything. She looks skinny and tired and bordering on unhealthy. 

“Lymphoma.” Tobin said, kissing Alex’s temple. “Don’t lie to anyone. Just tell people I’m fighting lymphoma.” Tobin knew she wasn’t looking that great, she saw her decline every morning in the mirror. 

Alex pulls back and looks in her eyes, seeing some sadness, seeing the exhaustion but also seeing the determination. She kisses her. “Okay,” she nods, “two hours, tops.” 

 

“I’m so excited about us hosting Thanksgiving,” Alex says, squeezing Tobin’s hand. Mrs. Harrison was throwing a Halloween party and Alex wanted to make an appearance. They were both looking forward to it, an evening of fine food and great company. 

“Me too,” Tobin nods, “you know, my family loves you already,” she says, then sighs, “it was so great seeing them.” 

“They’re super cool,” Alex smiles, remembering how she was cornered once by Cindy, Tobin’s Mom, and then by Perry, separately asking for the truth of Tobin’s illness. How they each expressed their gratitude that she was by Tobin’s side as she went through it. 

“That was really nice of your Dad to change out the furnace filter and fix the humidifier,” Alex remarks, “he didn’t have to do that.”

Tobin shrugs, “That’s how he is,” she replies, “he’s a doer.” 

“Your Mom asked me for my Mom’s phone number to plan Thanksgiving,” Alex nods as she glances over, “are we going to have trouble with the two of them?” 

“What do you mean?” Tobin asks, befuddled, looking at her perplexed. 

“I mean,” Alex grins, “are those two going to start planning a wedding or begin negotiating holiday custody or anything.” 

Tobin chuckles, “Well, I don’t know about that, but I feel fairly certain that my Mom will bring at least one photo album for Thanksgiving.” 

“Oh, man,” Alex grimaces, “my Mom probably will too,” 

Tobin holds out her hand, pinky finger extended, “No teasing too much? Pinky promise?” 

Alex latches her pinky finger around Tobin’s shaking their hands, “Pinky promise.” 

Tobin nods and looks out the window, yawning. 

“Do you still want to go?” she asks her, “It’s okay if you don’t.” 

Tobin shakes her head, “I want to see Mrs. H. and Nadine,” she says, “I want to hang with Abby,” 

“If you’re sure,” Alex hedges, looking at her. 

Tobin takes a hold of Alex’s hand once she shifts the car into drive, “Let’s go have some fun,” she smiles at her. Her eyes look brighter than they have been, the weight of her worrying lifted slightly. 

“We’ll have a blast!” Alex predicts as she smiles back. 

 

Alex makes sure to show her big bad wolf off to all of her friends. 

“What big eyes you have!” A voice booms from behind Alex where’s she’s standing with Tobin and Nadine. 

Alex turns and smiles at Abby who is dressed as a referee. Abby, Tobin and Nadine soon have the group animatedly discussing soccer. 

A few minutes later they are joined by Mrs. Harrison, “Would you mind if I steal Red Riding Hood for a moment?” she asks politely, the group nodding. She cocks her head for Alex to follow her. 

She shuts the door behind them in her private office, indicating for Alex to have a seat in one of the leather easy chairs in front of her desk. She sits next to her in the other one, tamping down her flowing gypsy gown. 

“Thank you again for having us,” Alex says, “this has been wonderful.” 

“You’re quite welcome Alex,” she nods at her, “I’m concerned about something and it’s a bit difficult to ask.” 

Alex looks at her curiously, “Um, what’s wrong?” 

Mrs. H. sighs and frowns. “She’s sick, isn’t she.” She states. 

Alex’s shoulders drop, her back slouches slightly, she shuts for eyes for a moment and nods, “Yes.” 

“Oh, dear, I’m sorry,” the older comforts. “Cancer?”

Try as she might, Alex can’t fight a tear from slipping down her cheek. “Lymphoma.” 

Mrs. H. sucks in air through her teeth. “Such a vicious disease.” She sighs. “She’s a fighter,” 

Alex nods again, “That she is.” She sniffs, accepting the Kleenex from her, she wipes her eyes, “She’s the strongest person I’ve ever known.” 

“Alex,” Mrs. H. says, looking at her fondly, “is she doing chemo? She’s rail thin.” 

“It makes her nauseous, she’s having trouble eating.” Alex explains, “She had some edibles and that helped with her nausea and appetite, but ran out.” 

The woman across from her brightens up, “I can help you with that,” she says, straightening in her chair, “does she like chocolate chip cookies?” 

“Uh, sure, I think so,” Alex shrugs, “I mean, who doesn’t?” 

“Okay,” Mrs. H. nods, “I’ll have Margo get them wrapped for you,” she smiles at her, “I’m so happy I can help in some small way. Tobin is a wonderful person and if there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.” 

“Thank you so much,” Alex says gratefully, “it’s awful seeing her suffer.” 

“How are you handling it, dear?” 

“Well,” Alex shifts in her seat, feeling uncomfortable having such a serious discussion in a ridiculous outfit, “it’s so much different than what Jeri went through. She was my sister. Tobin is the love of my life.” 

Mrs. Harrison nods knowingly, “I took care of my Mother years ago,” she shares, “then, when my Amanda got ill, I went through it again.” She looks at Alex thoughtfully, “It’s very different,” she says quietly, “please remember to take some time for yourself, sweetheart. It’s physically taxing.” 

“I will,” Alex promises. 

“Now,” she smiles, “if you need anything, you call me first. Before you leave tonight, see me, I’ll have the cookies for you.” She stands up and Alex does the same. 

Mrs. H. embraces her, “There’s so many people here that will want to step up,” she says to her, “let me marshall the troops for when you need it.” 

Alex sniffles against her, overwhelmed by her kindness. “I will,” 

They both wipe their eyes again with Kleenex. Alex glances at the clock, “I think we’ll be heading out soon, Tobin is pretty tired.” 

Mrs. H. nods. “I’ll have it ready momentarily.” 

They head back out to the party, Mrs. H. moving to the kitchen, Alex seeking Tobin. She finds her near in the dining room where the buffet has been laid out, giggling with Nadine as she makes a small plate of food. She smiles widely as she approaches. 

“Hey!” Tobin greets turning to her as she feels a hand on her back, “how’s it going?” 

“Pretty good,” Alex smiles, placing a kiss on her cheek, then looking between the two women, “Have you been staying out of trouble?” 

Tobin stifles a laugh and Nadine just gives her a shit eating grin. That’s when Alex realizes it. They’re both stoned. She laughs, “I see you haven’t.” She plucks an olive from Tobin’s plate, popping it in her mouth. 

They move to the side of the large room as they stand and eat. 

“So, Major misses you,” Tobin informs her, “Nadine and I went to the stables and he would like to see you. He likes you.” 

“Oh,” Alex is a little taken aback, “okay,” she looks at Nadine, “I’ll stop by soon.” 

Nadine nods, “And bring Tobin,” she says, her accent heavier than usual, “We need to talk about horse things.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods in agreement, “I have an idea about how you can make transitions easier for the new fillies,” 

“Hi girls,” Mrs. H. greets, one of the porters is behind her carrying a box. She nods for him to set it down on a chair and he leaves. “Easier transitions?” she directs to Tobin, “I’m all for it.” 

Tobin grins at her, “Do you like soccer?” she asks. 

Mrs. H. smiles back at her, “I was at the Rose Bowl in ‘99. My college roommate was Julie Foudy.” 

Tobin’s mouth drops open, “No way!” 

This begins another spirited conversation about soccer in which it’s Nadine who is proudly boasting to Mrs. H. about Tobin being an Olympic gold medalist. Alex stands back and smiles, loving how much Tobin is enjoying herself and inserting herself so seamlessly in with her friends. 

After twenty minutes, Alex notices Tobin becoming quiet, listening more and not speaking as much. She feels Mrs. H. nudge her and Alex nods, giving Tobin’s arm a squeeze and asking her if she was ready to head out. Tobin hesitates and then nods somewhat reluctantly and the two give their thanks to the hostess and bid farewell to those round them and who they meet along the way out the door. Alex is carrying a cardboard box just a little smaller than an orange crate. 

“What’s that?” Tobin inquires, taking the keys from Alex as she leans against the car. She unlocks the doors and opens the back one for Alex to slide the box in. Alex faces her with a smile, “Goodies from Mrs. H.” 

“Oh, cool,” Tobin smiles, handing her the keys back, as Alex insists on driving. 

“What’s in it? Do you know?” Tobin asks as she shuts her door and grabs her seatbelt. 

Alex arches an eyebrow at her, “Some special cookies for you,” 

“Special cookies?” Tobin inquires. 

“Uh huh,” Alex grins as she puts the car in gear and pulls out, “you know, _special_.” 

Alex waits a beat for Tobin to get it. “ _Oh!_ ” she says, “Like pot cookies?” 

“Yep,” Alex straightens her back and shakes her head, immensely proud of herself. 

“Wow!” Tobin laughs, “Damn, women, you are connected!”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin receives some hopeful news from her latest bloodwork and her and Alex go to Allie and Bati's house for dinner to celebrate.

Thursday, November 2nd  
4th Day of Waxing Gibbous Moon 

 

“I think you could probably have two glasses of wine,” Alex remarks as she drives the car towards Allie’s house, “one before dinner and one with it.” Her and Tobin are having dinner there tonight with Allie and Bati. Allie insisted, saying she wanted to let Tobin take a night off from cooking and not be subjected to take out or Alex’s attempts at making a meal. 

Tobin grins at her, a little stoned, “Cool,” she says, “I’m getting pretty hungry,” She squeezes Alex’s hand, wiggling her eyebrows at her, “and a little horny,” 

Alex smirks at her, “Don’t you worry about that,” 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods with a big grin on her face. Her bloodwork had come back showing a seventy percent decline in the wolf cells in her blood. It was exciting news. Tobin had called her Mom and Perry to tell them the good news, of course omitting it was wolf cells in her body. Her and Alex were both feeling pretty good about it. Allie insisted it was just another reason to celebrate with dinner at her place. 

 

“Oh, thank you,” Tobin says as she accepts a glass of red wine from Bati. She’s standing in front of an impressive display of books in the built-in shelves. “This place is awesome,” she grins at him, “you have, like, this cool steam punk English manor house thing going on.” 

Bati grins at her, nodding. “Yeah,” he agrees as he takes a sip from his own glass, “we wanted something cozy but full of character, you know?” 

Tobin nods and turns as the chime of a clock rings out. She looks over to an impressive Grandfather clock standing across the from them. “Woah,” she says, glancing at him, “that is so rad.” 

“Come on,” he touches her elbow as he guides her to stand in front of it. The wood is dark, nearly black, the brass and silver mechanisms dull with the patina of age are moving and clicking. Roman numerals ring the faceplate, the hands are daggers, the center area showing the moon phases. 

“Dude!” Tobin exclaims, “That is amazing!” 

Bati smiles at her, “We found it a few years ago at this super creepy antique store on the East Coast. We had to have it.” 

Tobin glances to the sconce on the wall next to it, a flame flickering within the globe. “Are those kerosene?” 

“Yeah,” Bati confirms, nodding. “We have to be careful, but we just love how they set the mood.” 

Tobin nods, “It’s, like, totally old school,” she says, looking around and then eying Bati, “do you have secret passages?” 

Bati grins, “Now if I told you, they wouldn’t be secret, right?” 

Tobin chuckles and nods as she sips her wine, “Do you not have a TV?” she looks around. 

Bati grins again, “It’s hidden behind the picture above the fireplace.” 

Tobin shakes her head at him, “Dude,” she grins, “that is so cool,” 

Bati smiles back at her, “Al and I spent a lot of time getting this place exactly how we wanted it.” 

“Well, it’s terrific,” Tobin smiles at him, “you guys did an awesome job.” 

“Thanks,” he beams at her. 

“What is this?” Tobin questions, holding her glass up, she takes another drink, “it’s like a mix of reds or something, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah,” Bati agrees, “it’s a Shiraz from around here,” 

“It’s super mellow, kinda sweet,” Tobin comments, “I like it.” 

“Let me show you the bottle,” Bati says, leading her to the dining room, pointing to it.

Alex walks in to the dining room holding her nearly empty glass and a tray of appetizers. She sets it down on the table. “Allie says we should have some while they’re hot.”  
Bati refills their glasses and comes back with Allie and a new bottle, refilling their own. The four sit at the table, eating the little crab, cheese and mushroom quiches as they talk and drink. They are surrounded in dark paneled walls, a low black steel chandelier hanging over the table. Four kerosene wall scones help light the room, casting flickering shadows. 

“Al,” Alex says, “you have got to give me the recipe for these, they’re amazing!” They taste wonderful to her, maybe just a little too salty, but she likes them. She takes another sip of her wine. 

Allie laughs, “And you’ll make them?” she asks, raising her eyebrows at her. 

Tobin laughs, raising her glass, “Give her the recipe, I’ll make them!” 

Allie nods, “That’s more like it.” 

“Hey!” Alex pouts, “I can cook!” 

Tobin just shakes her head as she laughs. Alex tries, but she has some way to go. 

Allie giggles, “Alex, you ruined a frozen pizza, like five months ago!”

“How?” Bati laughs, popping another quiche in his mouth. 

“She left the cardboard on the pizza,” Allie says primly, “there was so much smoke!” She breaks into laughter. 

Alex blushes as she drinks her wine, “I didn’t know it was there!” 

“We spent most of our lunch waving pans around to stop the smoke alarms,” Allie laughs. 

“At least you took off the plastic, babe,” Tobin says, leaning in and giving her a side hug. 

A ding sounds from the kitchen, Allie pushes her chair back. 

“We’ll be right back,” she says. 

“Can we help?” Tobin asks, looking up at her. 

“We got it,” Bati assures her, “just chill,” he says, pointing at the appetizers, “eat more of those,” he says, leaving the room with her. 

Alex does grab another quiche, popping it into her mouth and turning to see Tobin lean back in her chair, her eyes closed. She opens them and shakes her head slightly. 

“Hon?” Alex asks, placing her hand on Tobin’s forearm, “Are you okay?” 

Tobin turns to look at her, her eyes are glazed and unfocused, “I don’t know, I feel super weird.” 

“Is it a migraine?” Alex leans towards her, seeing her sway in her chair. 

“No,” Tobin mumbles, bringing her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes. 

“Is it the wine?” Alex asks, touching Tobin’s shoulder. “Are you drunk?” 

It’s then that Tobin becomes blurry to her, as if a veil was suddenly placed in front of her. Alex blinks rapidly, thinking maybe something got in her eyes or the slight smoke from the kerosene lanterns were bothering her. 

“Tobs,” she says, watching as Tobin leans her elbows onto the table, her hands supporting her head. 

“Something’s wrong,” Tobin mumbles as her breathing picks up. Alex brings a hand to her temple, she’s feeling dizzy now. 

“It’s like a slow sedation,” Tobin says quietly, reaching for her water glass but finding it empty.

“I feel it,” Alex comments, shaking her head. 

Bati walks in carrying two serving dishes of vegetables. He places them on the table. “Everything okay?” he asks, looking concerned. 

“We feel weird,” Alex states, massaging her temples again. She feels Tobin moving next to her. 

“Lex!” Tobin calls out, struggling to stand, swaying unsteadily on her feet, gripping the table, “We gotta go,” she slurs. 

“Woah, woah, woah!” Bati says, coming around and sitting her down, “maybe that wine hit you harder than you thought,” he says, looking up at Allie in the doorway. A grin on his face.

Allie’s eyes dart between Alex and Tobin. 

Tobin is trying to get up again, her feet moving slow, like she’s drunk. She’s only able to slide along her chair, unable to stand. Alex feels like her head weighs fifty pounds. She’s holding her head in her hands, just like Tobin was moments ago. 

She hears a thump and slowly turns to see Tobin is on the floor, groaning as she struggles to crawl. 

“Allie,” Alex says, her voice thick, “help.” 

Allie looks genuinely remorseful at her. Glancing at the floor, Tobin’s movements slowing. 

She sets down the two plates and Bati reaches over, moving Alex’s and Tobin’s wine glasses and plates. 

Alex is watching as they clear their places, unable to move and becoming increasingly groggy, seeing that they’ve only made food for themselves, slowly realizing that they’ve been drugged. “Why?” Alex struggles to speak. 

Allie looks at her as she places a steak on her plate. Then she gets some vegetables. “I’m sorry Alex,” she says, looking upset, “I just didn’t think it was safe to invite a wolf to my home.” 

 

Alex’s mouth drops open, she turns her head, waiting for the room to stop spinning and sees Tobin’s unmoving body sprawled on the floor. 

“Nooo,” she breathes, panic filling her, feeling her head moving forward to the table. It thumps hard on the wood surface. 

She’s able to move her neck and watches as Allie and Bati toast each other, raising their glasses, kissing passionately and then drinking. Her eyes fall close. She’s panicking and her thoughts are unclear, her mind muddled. Tobin. 

“This steak is delicious, babe,” Bati says, “you’ve outdone yourself tonight.” 

It’s the last thing Alex hears as the wave of unconsciousness overtakes her. 

 

 

Friday, November 3rd  
1st Day of the Full Moon 

 

 

Before Tobin’s eyes open, she knows she’s freezing. She can feel her limbs shaking slightly, she’s curled into a tight ball on her side. Her head is pounding, there’s a sour taste in her mouth. She’s so thirsty. She attempts to stretch her legs, moving only a few inches before she feels her bare arches of her feet are hitting something cold. 

She struggles to open her eyes, they’re sticking with a crusty build up, she brings a hand up, her cold fingers stiff, rubbing her eyes to get them open. She sees bars in front of her, she’s in a fucking cage. She shoots herself upward to sit, leaning on her elbow, her head banging painfully off the top of the cage. She can’t even sit up it’s so low. She grits her teeth as she groans, bringing a hand up to rub the side of her head. 

She sees Alex across from her, she’s still unconscious, her wrists and ankles are duct taped to the legs and arms of a high back wooden chair. Her head is tilted back and to the side slightly, lips parted. She looks to be breathing softly. 

Oh, fuck, Tobin realizes, looking down at herself. She’s completely naked. I feel so violated, she thinks, looking around the room. She sees her clothes neatly piled on the floor, just out of reach. There’s a small, empty, stainless steel bowl in the cage with her. The walls and floors are cement, there’s a few windows, it looks like they’re in a basement. A table is to her left and is filled with candles. It looks like an altar or something. Furniture is scattered around, a weird looking wooden sawhorse with straps on it to her right. The muted light coming through the few small windows doesn’t provide much for her to see. 

She’s on top of what looks like short platform of some sort. She gets on her hands and knees, her back against the top of the cage. It’s a treadmill, she realizes with horror. 

Oh fuck. What are they going to do to me. What are they going to do to Alex, she wonders. 

Panic seizes her, her head turning and scanning the cage. It’s bolted to the floor, it’s bolted to the wall. She struggles pointlessly against the bars, trying to break free. Sobs wrack her body, holding onto the bars, she’s on her side again, her legs curled up uncomfortably. 

“Tobin?” Alex’s sleepy voice is heard, “Tobin!” she cries out, louder now, opening her eyes and seeing her in the cage just a few feet away from her. 

“Oh, Lex,” Tobin cries, her voice soft and sad, sniffling as she cries, “I’m so sorry,” she cries harder, “I didn’t mean for this to happen!” Tobin’s cries are mournful, full of sorrow. 

Alex calls to her, trying to get her to stop, but she’s completely unraveling, hysterically repeating to Alex over and over again how sorry she is. 

Alex cries as well, she’s fearful, unsure of what will happen to her. What will be done to Tobin. She has no idea of the time, it’s overcast so she can’t even guess if it’s afternoon or dusk. Tobin will turn tonight. If Allie and Bati are indeed witches or members of the coven in some way, they are going to want to witness it. She’s sure of it. Both of them are in on it, last night proved it.

She wonders how long Allie knew about Tobin. She never gave a clue that something was up, that she suspected. They got to be friends, they went out all the time. 

Her and Tobin didn’t have a chance, walking in there last night. It must have been the wine, they must have drugged it. Alex thinks bitterly, fuck, Allie didn’t even make them anything for dinner. She had no intention of us being around for it. 

She tries to pull her arms away from the chair, it’s fruitless. It’s too tight and there’s too much tape. She wishes there was some way she could comfort Tobin, who’s cries have grown softer now. Tobin was dealt such a bad hand with all of this. It was so unfair of Hope to intentionally bite her, especially since she knew she was gathering the information they wanted for the Alumni. The anger that Alex feels has her wishing to murder Hope, making it look like she was trying to steal drugs from her clinic, or shooting her as a wolf on her property. 

“Lex?” Tobin’s voice breaks her from her daydream. 

“Huh?” Alex asks, seeing Tobin’s pale face, but flushed from crying, her eyes puffy and rimmed red, cheeks stained with her tears looking at her with a sad, melancholy expression. 

“Are we at Allie’s house still?” she questions quietly, her voice low and tired. 

“I think so,” Alex nods, looking around the room, “I think some of those chairs are hers, they used to be in her living room.” 

She sees Tobin nod, trying to wiggle around to get comfortable in the small enclosure. She ends up lying on her back, her knees drawn up to her chest, her hands rubbing her upper arms for warmth. 

“You cold?” Alex asks, wishing there was something she could do. 

“It’s a little chilly in here,” Tobin replies, sniffing. She’s just staring at the ceiling. 

“Tobin,” Alex sniffs, “what are they going to do to us?” 

Without turning to look at her, Tobin wipes at her eyes, “Kill us.” 

An uneasy silence fills the room as they both absorb what Tobin has said. Minutes pass, Alex just watching Tobin. Tobin turns her head to look at her. 

“They’ll probably do some sort of tests on me,” she says, her voice cracking with emotion, “try to find what a wolf’s weakness is against them,” she predicts, “they’ll use you against me, so I’ll cooperate.” 

“No,” Alex breathes, trying to wrap her head around this situation. 

“They’ll do whatever they want to me,” Tobin continues, her voice wavering and so incredibly fucking sad that Alex can’t stand it, “then they’ll kill me, chop me up for my organs and fur,” she catches Alex’s eyes, “then they’ll kill you because you know too much. I’m so sorry.” She begins to cry again, it’s this sad, quiet cry, that’s inconsolable and makes Alex’s heart break as she cries with her. 

Alex doesn’t know how long they both have emotionally lost their minds, but eventually they stop, drained and exhausted. They just stare at each other, not speaking. Alex trying to be express comfort and reassurance to a completely wrecked Tobin. She’s never seen anyone in her life look so completely devastated. 

 

Eventually, Tobin speaks. 

“So, if you got the boarding thing up and running again,” she begins, “what would the job requirements be?” 

“Huh?” Alex leans her head forward, confused. 

Tobin gives her a small smile, “You know, when we get out of this, what if you get the barn going again?” 

Realizing Tobin is sweetly trying to distract her from the mounting terror she’s feeling, Alex lets out a sigh and decides to go with it. “Well, who would run it?” 

Tobin turns on her side, her head resting on her bent arm. “What about me?” 

“Oooh, I’d have my very own horse whisperer?” Alex smiles, raising her eyebrows at her, “I don’t know if I could handle that.” 

“Did it make money or at least break even?” Tobin inquires, “I don’t know a thing about that kind of business.” 

“It made a little money,” Alex admits, “Jeri insisted on being very low priced. She wanted the new horse owners to have somewhere to come and not get fleeced or anything.” 

Tobin nods, looking at her thoughtfully. “Building looks pretty good,” she says, “structurally it’s sound. You would probably want to have an electrician come in, a professional, to check it out. You’d need to have the roof checked, but there’s no leaks or water stains that I saw.” 

Alex nods at her, “Jeri had a handbook, it’s probably in her office. It’s has everything you would need, who she bought feed from, the trainers she used for lessons, all of the people who did work for her, like electricians and stuff.” 

“That would be pretty rad,” Tobin grins, then looks at her curiously, “would you like to have horses?” 

Alex shakes her head, “No, I want a dog.” 

“What type?” 

“Not picky,” Alex replies, shifting her hips, “just a rescue, some mutt.” 

“What would you name it?” Tobin asks, shifting again, wincing a little. 

“I don’t know,” Alex considers, “I think I’d have to meet it, get to know it’s personality.” She smiles, “Kinda like you, Dorkball.” 

Tobin chuckles, “Dorkball,” she mutters, shaking her head. She grows quiet, looking at the ceiling. 

“What does your family do on Thanksgiving, like after eating,” Tobin prods Alex, “do you have any traditions?” 

Alex gives her a thin, closed mouthed smile, “We usually play cards or board games,” 

“Same here,” Tobin says, giving her the same closed mouth smile.

“Do you go out for Black Friday shopping?” Alex asks, just to continue talking. 

“Only from my computer,” Tobin nods. 

“Did you put up a Christmas tree in your apartment?” 

Tobin smiles, “Yeah,” she says, her eyes sparkling, “I love Christmas.” 

“Me too,” Alex sighs. 

Tobin shifts a little in the cage, growing uncomfortable but not complaining. She looks over at Alex, “Tell me one thing about you that I don’t know.” 

Alex scrunches her mouth, “Hum,” she ponders, “let’s see,” she looks at Tobin, a small smile forming on her face, “Okay,” she nods, “when I was ten, I rescued a little baby rabbit.  
My Dad had mowed over their nest in the yard by accident, he didn’t see it and the Mother had fled. He was the only living one. Jeri helped me make a little house for him, then showed me a few websites to learn about how to care for him.” 

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Tobin smiles at her. 

“He stayed around for over a year, always coming up to me, letting me pet him,” Alex smiles, remembering the time, “it was so cool. I think that’s when I decided I wanted to be a vet.” She pauses, “Okay, what about you?” 

“This one time,” Tobin says, “I was in Brazil with the Youth National Team, and a group of us sorta wandered away from the town on a path up this mountain. We were almost to the top when we started seeing these huge tracks on the path, like, a cougar, or a tiger or something. We freaked out, turning to go down, but there was this herd of these huge, like, water buffalos coming at us. We got off the trail while they passed, but there were snakes and spiders dropping down from the trees, we were screaming and freaking out and then ran all the way down, back to town.” 

“Oh my God!” Alex exclaims quietly, “Did you guys get in trouble?” 

Tobin shakes her head, “We never told a soul.” 

Tobin looks at her, “What would take your practice to the next level? If you could do it?” 

“I’d want to stop having the clinic and focus on just horses.” Alex answers immediately, “I’d change the two exam rooms into a surgical unit, expand the reception area into a supply area and then use part of the barn as a recovery area for the horses.” 

“Huh,” Tobin nods, “sounds like you’ve given this some thought.” 

“I have,” Alex grins at her, “I dream about it at night, how I would make it happen. Right now, if we need to do a surgical procedure, the only place is in town and most of the stables are out here, so it would be a great location for the other vets in the group to use as well.” She grins slyly at Tobin, “And I would have a horse whisperer there, letting me know how my patients were feeling.” 

“That sounds like something I could get into,” Tobin replies, sighing, “it would be super cool.” 

They both know they’re lying to each other. Just passing time and doing whatever they can to divert their attention from their imminent deaths. They grow quiet again, hours seem to pass. Tobin eventually squats over the small bowl to relieve herself, Alex turning her head, grimacing as she does the same in the chair. Tobin carefully tilts the half filled bowl through the bars of the cage, setting it outside on the floor. 

“Listen,” Tobin says, looking at Alex seriously, “I can’t die without saying this to you.” 

“What is it?” Alex asks quietly, wondering what she is thinking. 

“I am falling in so love with you, Alex.” Tobin says, “I think I have from the moment I first met you,” she sniffs, “I wish we had more time together, because I think we could really be something great.” 

“I am too,” Alex replies, just as quietly, “and it’s not just because you can cook,” she smirks, “you just have this lightness that surrounds you.” She blinks the tears forming back rapidly, “Even with all the sadness, the terrible tragedies you’ve gone through, you have this, this hopeful spirit. I think if we had more time, we’d become one of those gross couples who everyone is jealous about because we’re so in love.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin smiles, shifting again to her back, “we’d be relationship goals.” 

“It just happened so quick, it seems,” Alex shakes her head, “it was like, instant.” 

Tobin looks at her carefully, “Well,” she says slowly, “you know Hope and Kelley? They’re together. It was the same thing, from what I’ve heard. There’s this rumor that because of the wolf blood, we bond with our soul mates even before we know ourselves that they are meant for us.” 

She looks up at the ceiling, “I think that’s what happened when I met you.” 

She turns and smiles at Alex and they look lovingly at each other for a long time, no words being spoken, just conveying their emotions through their eyes. Eventually, they both shut their eyes, letting sleep allow them to escape for a short while from their fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the continued kudos and comments. I appreciate it. 
> 
> What are you thinking about this turn of events?


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin and Alex find out exactly what Allie and Bati's plans are for them.

Friday, November 3rd   
1st Day of the Full Moon 

 

Alex wakes with a jolt from Tobin loudly cursing. 

“What the fuck?” she bellows, her hands going to her face, rising quickly and banging her head on the top of the cage. 

Bati is standing near the cage, laughing as he puts the empty bowl of her urine on the table. 

“Don’t worry,” he says, grinning at her, “I’ll get you cleaned up.” He moves out of Alex’s view, she’s too afraid to speak right now. She watches as he comes back, dragging a garden hose. He’s laughing loudly as he guides the hose on Tobin, watching as she tries to block the spray of cold well water. The water draining into the small hole next to the cage. 

Alex hears feet on the stairs, coming down and sees Allie holding two shopping bags and a box, walking over to the table and setting down. 

Allie turns to Alex, looking genuinely upset, “I’m really sorry, Al,” she says, placing a hand on her shoulder, “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.” 

“I wish I could have convinced you to join us,” she says, sighing heavily, “but your fate is sealed now.” She looks at Tobin and Alex follows her gaze. Tobin is balled up shivering and soaking wet, her eyes wide and darting about the room. 

“Alex,” Allie sighs as she squeezes her shoulder, “I just hope that Tobin makes your death as painless as possible.” 

Alex looks up at her, unable to speak, unable to process these words coming out of her mouth. She can’t believe this is happening. 

Bati comes back from putting the hose away, busying himself with setting up an electronic display and plugging it onto the treadmill. He fiddles with the controller and soon the time is displayed. Alex sees it’s five thirty. Then he goes to the table, pulling items from the bags. 

“Well, my fellow Tar Heel,” Allie calls out, getting the shivering woman’s attention, “I’m sorry we’re on opposite sides here. Sorry we took your clothes and you’re cold. I didn’t want you doing something stupid, like, trying to kill yourself by strangling yourself with your shirt or jeans or something.” She states, putting her hands on her hips. “You know what I have the power to do, what I can morph into.” She says sternly. “It’s up to you how Alex leaves this realm. Peacefully or in a world of hurt and suffering. Your choice.”

“I’ll do whatever you want,” Tobin says frantically, her eyes wide with fear. She’s gripping the bars tightly, her knuckles white. She’s soaking wet and shaking from the cold and her voice is trembling with emotion, “Please, please, don’t let her suffer.” 

“I promise you, if you follow instructions, Alex will never feel a thing.” Allie states, then looks down at Alex, “I’m really sorry, you’ve been such a good friend.” 

Allie leaves Alex’s side, meeting Bati at the table, their backs are to the room, speaking softly to one another and Alex can’t see what they’re doing or make out what they’re saying. 

Alex looks at Tobin, both are terrified. Tobin winces suddenly, bringing a hand to her head. Then she takes out her contacts, dropping them on the floor. Alex’s gaze is interrupted by Bati setting up a tripod and mounting a camera on it, then pulling a chair next to her. 

Allie comes and sits next to Alex, a glass of wine in hand, “We’ve never seen a transformation before,” she says, her eye sparkling, “we’re going to film it.” 

“We’ll be sure to both be elevated with this, babe,” Bati grins as he pulls another chair to the left of them. He puts a hand on the weird looking wooden sawhorse, running his fingers along the top of it. “You know, I still wanna fuck her,” he says, glancing at Tobin and licking his lips lavisciously. 

“I know,” she smiles at him, “tomorrow afternoon,” Allie promises, “you’ll have time then.” She turns to Alex who is horrified as she realizes the sawhorse is a breeding bench.   
Tobin would be stretched along the center beam, her hands strapped to the front legs and her legs to the rear. She’s seen photos of them for other animals, mostly dogs. It’s a   
brutal, violent way to make animals mate. She can’t even imagine how being restrained that way would be. So helpless, so powerless. 

Tobin is now on her knees, holding her head on the ground. Her whole body is tense and she’s whimpering in pain and mumbling to herself. 

“It’s beginning,” Allie says excitedly, turning the camera on and making sure it’s recording. Bati starts a count up timer, the seconds passing. 

“Oh, God!” Tobin yells out, “Aaahhhh!” she screams, writhing as her back arches, hitting the cage hard, her legs scrunching up underneath her. 

All three lean forward in their chairs, watching with fascination. They watch open mouthed as Tobin’s rib cage shifts under her skin, her spine making popping and cracking noises as it moves, her hips arching up. 

“Oh, God!” she cries out again, looking down to watch as her arms begin to shift, the bones shifting, shortening, screaming in horror as her hand changes into a paw. “No!” she cries as she throws her head to the floor, writhing in pain. 

She throws her head back, letting out a tormented wail. 

Her screams become this garbled, strangled cry, her skull morphing and elongating, her skin becoming mottled and sprouting hair.

The screaming lasts for seven minutes until they become twisted gargles and awful choking noises. Then the snarls, yelps and whimpers took over. 

The transformation took twelve minutes to complete. Once it passed five minutes, Alex was anxious. When it passed ten minutes, she was near hysterical. Tobin’s screams echo in basement, her eyes wide, filled with terror. As the transformation continues, Alex realizes that the process was different. It was just a little off, it was as if different parts of her body were transforming in a different order than before. She can also see how Tobin was tiring. It has to be exhausting. And painful. 

Now a wolf lays panting in the cage before them. 

Allie’s eyes alight are with excitement. “That was amazing!” she exclaims. Alex realizes she doesn’t know that this was not a normal transformation. She doesn’t know that Tobin is an exception when it comes to werewolves. 

Alex is crying, Tobin’s screams echoing in her ears. She doesn’t think she will ever forget those sounds of pure agony. Bati begins to fiddle with a cord and grabs a controller of some sort. 

Allie turns to her, crossing her legs and sipping her wine, “She’s a pretty wolf,” she comments, glancing over at Tobin. 

“She’s a Red Wolf, native to North Carolina,” Alex replies unevenly, sniffing. 

“That coat is going to look beautiful lying on our floor in front of the fireplace,” Bati grins at Allie. 

“Bati!” Allie chastises him, nodding at Alex. 

“Uh, sorry Alex,” he’s says sheepishly. 

Alex looks at Tobin, seeing how her ears are back, baring her sharp teeth, a low growl coming from her, a strip of fur raised on her spine, tail raised. Her eyes are darting between Allie and Bati. 

“What a majestic creature,” Allie murmurs, then she turns to Alex. 

“You know, I saw you that night,” she says, “on the road, when you hit her.” 

Alex’s eyes grow large, looking at Allie. 

“She almost caught me,” she continues, “she’s fast.” Allie takes a sip of her wine. “I watched you take her,” she nods at her, “did you have her at your house the next morning?” 

Alex can only nod, this is unreal, she thinks. Tobin was right to be suspicious. 

“When I saw her, as a human, I knew right away it was her.” Allie shares, “The injuries were consistent, even though you told me your ridiculous story.” She sips her wine again. 

“I waited, I told Bati we had a chance to capture one.” She nods at him and he smiles back at her. “We spent so many nights making plans, figuring out how this day would come.” 

Allie shakes her head at Alex, giving her a sad smile, “You weren’t supposed to fall in love with her,” she gently chides, “she was supposed to get better and leave, not stick around.” 

Bati stands up, “We racked our brains trying to figure out a way to just take her and leave you alone, Alex.” 

“But then,” she looks over at Tobin who is still intently watching them, “getting to know her, we knew she would have told you everything. She’s just too truthful. And faithful.” 

“We should get started, babe,” Bait says quietly, picking up the remote control and sitting down in the chair. 

“Oh,” Allie grips Alex’s forearm again, “I called Abby and told her you were down with the flu and we were closing the clinic until Monday. She’s covering your calls.” 

“How thoughtful of you,” Alex spits out, a spike of rage instantly spreading through her entire being. She tries to twist her arm away from Allie, Allie just grips it tighter. 

“I really am sorry, Al.” she says again. Alex turns her head away. 

There’s silence for a moment and then Allie speaks. 

“I’ve read that wolves can run as fast as forty mile per hour for about two miles when chasing prey.” Allie states, “Tobin, we’re going to test that theory. Please stand up on the treadmill.” 

Tobin stands on the treadmill, glancing at Alex and then looking at Bati. 

“This is the speed and endurance test.” Allie announces, Bati nods and slowly the treadmill begins to move. 

Tobin lopes along easily, looking over again, her eyes locking with Alex’s. The pace increases, the numbers of miles per hour climbing on the display and soon Tobin’s head turns forward to focus. 

Minutes go by and Bait continues to speed up the treadmill, the display showing thirty miles an hour. Then thirty-five, then he notches it up, holding the speed for a full minute before increasing it. 

“Come on!” Bati urges, leaning forward, watching as Tobin’s paws are flying on the treadmill, keeping pace. “Forty-two!” he yells triumphantly, then taps the controller. 

Tobin stumbles, struggling to keep the pace, Bati carefully dials it back, lowering the speed to thirty-five miles an hour. Alex winces as she sees Tobin’s left front paw begin to drop a little quicker, making her gait off. She’s in pain. 

Her wrist was healed of the break, but she was still doing some therapy on it each day to build the strength back. 

Another five minutes of running at the fast pace and now Tobin has a pronounced limp. Her tongue is hanging out, they can all hearing the panting. 

“Stop!” Alex cries, unable to watch any longer. 

“Shut up,” Allie warns her, “another outburst and you’ll add another fifteen minutes to this.” 

Alex clamps her mouth shut, swearing to herself and hoping she can control herself. 

When they hit the three hour mark, Tobin is now running on only three paws, placing no weight on her left front one. She’s struggling to keep up, them stumbles, sliding back and crashing into the back of the cage, yelping in pain. 

Bati mercifully shuts down the treadmill, stopping the conveyor belt. Tobin is curled up awkwardly in the corner, tongue hanging out, panting rapidly and loudly. 

“That was impressive!” Allie says, “Amazing stamina.” 

Bati fills the water dish up, placing it just outside the cage, out of reach in front of Tobin. 

“Oh, that’s cruel!” Allie laughs. 

Alex watches and sees Tobin’s eyes narrow at him, her panting still heavy. Alex struggles against the restraints, crying, fresh tears coming down. 

“Allie, please!” Alex pleads, “Just stop it! Tobin never wanted to be a wolf, she was forced into it. She’s trying to break away from them!” 

Allie sympathetically puts her hand on Alex’s forearm, “I’m sure she was just telling you that, so you wouldn’t think she actually likes it, Al.” 

Alex knows it’s not true, she looks over to Tobin, who’s still panting. She’s shaking her head at Alex and she doesn’t know if she means to stop speaking or to not believe what Allie said or both. 

She clamps her mouth closed, thinking maybe she shouldn’t speak, maybe she’ll just make it worse for Tobin if she keeps engaging Allie. 

It’s nearing ten o’clock and Alex has no idea what the two have planned for the rest of the night. Probably something painful for Tobin. Her fears are realized when Bati turns from the table, holding a small cylinder, it looks like a flashlight. 

Bati steps in front of the camera. 

“This is the Police model 1158 taser. It’s said to deliver 15 million volts upon discharge and will immobilize a human for at least 30 seconds. We’ll test it out.” He turns and goes down on one knee. 

“Come to the side of the cage.” He orders, Tobin reluctantly getting up and standing there. Her head is down, eyes clamped shut, knowing this will not be pleasant. 

Alex grips the edges of the arms of the chair, every muscle in her body tense, tears forming in her eyes. She glances over, seeing Allie lean forward, a malicious grin on her face. 

Bati clicks the device and Tobin emits a series of yelps, sliding to the ground, legs out stiff, back arching and rolling, banging against the bars of the cage. It was about thirty seconds later when she springs to her feet, yelping, throwing herself at the walls of the cage, trying to get out. 

After a minute she calms, sitting in the corner the furthest away from Bati, panting, her mouth open, tongue hanging out. 

Bati turns to Allie, “Impressive,” he nods and holds up the small unit, “I like that it has a flashlight too.” 

“We’ll be heroes for finding effective means of defense against werewolf attacks,” Allie states proudly, smiling at Bati. Alex shakes her head, looking intensely at Tobin. 

He waits until Tobin stops panting and then orders her to get back along the side of the cage near him. Tobin gets into position, knowing what will come next. She sends Alex a mournful glance before looking forward and closing her eyes. 

Alex doesn’t watch. She wishes she could move her hands to cover her ear and stop hearing the yelps and abbreviated howls of pain, to stop hearing the noises of Tobin’s body bouncing off the walls as she flings herself in misery at the torture she is experiencing. She’s howling loudly, panting in between these desperate cries.

Alex doesn’t watch as Bati tests model after model, calmly explaining features and benefits before using it twice on Tobin, claiming they should practice due diligence to make sure it wasn’t a one off result. 

Alex prays, she’s not into God a whole lot, conflicted about how a loving, all powerful being would allow people to suffer so badly in this world, but she prays. She has this feeling that things will just go progressively downhill, the devices Bati will use will become more dangerous. The pain inflicted in this torture of Tobin will become more severe. 

She prays for Tobin’s heart to stop from the repeated shockings. She prays she just drops dead and that will be the end of it. She prays that Allie will just put a bullet in her own head and let her stop hearing these awful cries of pain and bearing witness to the suffering that Tobin’s experiencing. 

What gets Alex the most, is that Tobin keeps getting up. Every time Bati requests it. She’s getting slower in responding, but he doesn’t have to tell her twice. He hasn’t once had to threaten her, hasn’t had to dangle hurting me to motivate Tobin, she thinks. 

She promised she would do everything she could, so I wouldn’t suffer, Alex thinks. Little did Tobin know, her willingness to take on that burden hurts worse that any physical suffering Alex could endure. 

Alex looks up when she hears a clicking noise, seeing Bati standing to the side as he points a taser like the Police use. Again, those terrible yelps, barks and whimpers are heard, the banging from the thrashing. She sees Tobin on her side, legs flinching and twitching, spasming from aftershocks. She fears it could induce a seizure. 

“That’s enough.” Allie says quietly. 

Bati nods, yanking on the cables to pull the barbs out, striding across the room and setting the gun on it, coiling the cables up with it. Then he gets busy setting a box fan in front of Alex’s feet. He plugs it in and turns it on the highest setting, Alex feeling the slight pull of the fabric from her jeans. 

Bati then moves to the small window on the side, this one has a fan in it as well, turning it on. 

Allie gets up, stretching her body, walking over and giving Bati a deep kiss. They hold each other, smiling as they look into each other’s eyes. 

“The power and wealth that will come from this,” Bati shakes his head, “we’ll never want for anything.” 

“Just an ounce of wolf’s blood goes for, like, five hundred dollars.” Allie sighs, “I can’t even imagine what we would get for a paw.” 

Bati nods, “Or the eyes.” 

Allie kisses him, “One eye,” she says, “I’m keeping the other.” 

Bati nods, “I’m hungry, you want a snack?” She nods. He leaves the room, his feet thumping up the stairs. 

Allie turns to Alex, giving her a sad smile, “You hungry? Thirsty?” 

Alex shakes her head, her stomach turning at the thought of what they will do to Tobin. She turns her attention to Tobin. She’s still lying on the floor, her breathing has returned to normal, the fan sending a stiff breeze at her head that’s lying on the floor, looking at Alex. Alex smiles at her, whispering I love you to her. She smiles even broader when she sees Tobin’s tail twitch in a small wag in response.

 

 

“Oh, that’s the worst!” Allie coughs out, “You said the fans would make it fine!”

Bati had just tested how Tobin would react to pepper spray. The room is filled with a residual odor, tears in all three of their eyes. Tobin’s yelps have stopped, but she’s rolling on the floor, sneezing and using her paws to try to rub her eyes as she howls in pain. 

Alex’s eyes are burning, her mouth feels disgusting, watching as Bati and Allie leave the basement to go wash their eyes out. She twists her neck and brings up her shoulder, rubbing her eye on her shirt to get some relief. She does the same on the other eye. It helps a little. 

Tobin belly crawls to the front of the cage, her watery eyes looking at Alex. She starts talking to Alex in a drawn out, not quite barking but definitely saying something kind of way. 

“Raar, rawww, ruhh,” she whines, looking tired. 

It’s after three in the morning, giving Alex the small hope that daylight will come in a few hours. 

“I’m so proud of you,” Alex says, her voice raspy and cracking from crying and being silent for so long, “I love you so much,” 

“You’re so brave,” Alex cries, fresh tears coming again, “you don’t have to keep doing it, I can take some of it,” she says, “I promise it won’t make me love you less if you can’t take anymore.”

Tobin shakes her head violently, her tongue flapping out of the side of her mouth, the tips of her ears drooping. She cocks her head and looks at Alex, tail wagging. She begins grumbling, these soft sounds intermixed with whimpers. 

They’re soft and sweet, making Alex smile. Then Tobin issues this low howl, it’s as soft as a speaking voice, almost crooning, low and melodic and multi-pitched, combined with the adoring look in her eyes, it makes Alex sigh with emotion as she smiles at her. 

Tobin stops, but her tail doesn’t stop wagging, lowering her head, looking on at Alex. Alex hadn’t noticed how adorable Tobin’s floppy tipped ears were, until she perked them up, looking at the stairwell. She gives Alex one more glance, then hardens her eyes and stills herself as Alex hears the footsteps of Allie and Bati returning. 

Allie stands in front of Alex. She looks at her sadly, her face a mix of emotions. 

“Be one of us,” she pleads to Alex, “I don’t want to kill you.” 

“No.” Alex states firmly, fighting against the restraints. 

“Alex,” Allie says, kneeling down and placing a hand on her knee, “you can be one of us, think of the power. You’ll be rich, the coven will instantly elevate you, I’ll tell them that you brought us Tobin.” 

“No!” Alex cries, turning her head away. 

“Yes,” Allie urges, “the coven wants to use stem cells to increase brain power,” she confides, glancing at Bati, “you could be the one who gets us there. We could set up the barn for animal testing,” she opens her mouth as a thought enters, “maybe we could keep Tobin alive, she could be your first patient.” 

“Allie!” Alex cries, “Stop!” 

Allie sighs, looking defeated, “I’m sorry,” she says slowly, “I want you know that a part of you will always be with me,” she stands up. 

“When I take you, I’ll gain your spirit power.” She looks at her sadly, “It won’t hurt,” she brightens up, “I’ll let you see, so you won't be scared when it's time.” 

She takes a step back, bringing her hands together as if in prayer, eyes closed, her mouth moving as she silently speaks something. 

Alex’s eyes widen as she sees a black mist forming, swirling around Allie until in swallows her and then in the blink of an eye, the floating black thing she saw so many nights ago hovers in front of her. 

“It will feel like this,” the Dementor hisses, the voice similar to Allie’s tone, but far more scratchy and threatening. A black finger points down, touching Alex’s chest. Alex jolts in the chair, her back arching, all of the air whooshing from her. 

Her eyes are wide as she feels her heartbeat slowing, the life draining from her, hearing the fierce barks from Tobin and the soft laughter from Bati. 

Tobin begins to howl as Alex feels lightheaded, the creature in front of her, turning sharply away, then she hears yelping and whimpering. 

“Babe,” Bati warns, the finger leaving Alex’s chest. 

Alex chokes, her head hanging down, exhausted and panting. The black finger touches her chin, raising her head and Alex sees the dead glowering eyes. 

“This power could be yours,” the voice hisses. 

“No,” Alex persists, crying, “please, no,” 

“You’ve sealed your fate.” The mist begins to swirl, Alex hangs her head down, she’s so tired. 

Allie, now back as herself, looks at her, her eyes are watering, “Sorry, Alex,” she says, truly remorseful, “I wish you would change your mind.” 

She turns to Tobin, who is whimpering in the cage, her left paw raised as she cowers in the corner. 

“And you,” Allie says, pointing at the wolf, “you cooperate for the next few days or I will make it agony for Alex. Got it?” 

The wolf nods her head repeatedly. 

“Alright,” Allie sighs and then yawns, “last test for the night.” She sets her laptop down on a small rolling table, pushing it to her seat. Bati brings a cord over, Allie plugging it in, Alex following the line and seeing it belongs to a speaker. 

Tobin sits up, the top of her back just touching the top of the cage, her neck lowered, glowering eyes watching warily. 

Allie sits down, cuing up her screen as Bati gets out a notebook, sitting down in his chair, pen at the ready. 

“Frequency testing for response effect. A one minute duration of each tone.” She moves her mouse across the screen, Alex can see a while listing of tracks. 

“Number one.” Allie announces, clicking on the sound bite. 

A high whine is emitted, lower in pitch than a fire alarm, Allie turning the volume up until it could be considered loud. Tobin’s ears flicker, her eyes narrowing at Allie. 

Each sound bite raises slightly, almost an imperceptible change. The change is noticed by Tobin’s sensitive ears though. Alex can barely hear the high pitched noise, Tobin is snarling in the cage, barking and pacing as much as she can move, obviously agitated. 

Her ears are back, tail down in between her legs, hackles raised along her back. Yelps, growls and snarls are interspersed with howls and barks, her movements becoming more frantic. 

“Number eighty-nine,” Allie states, her voice becoming tired. She lets out a sigh, “I knew we should have started at a higher pitch.” 

“Eh, its good for research.” Bati says, noting Tobin’s reaction in his notebook. 

It’s number ninety-two that send Tobin into a frenzy, bouncing off the walls of the cage, saliva flying from her mouth, a froth building on her muzzle. 

“Do it again,” Bati requests, leaning forward to watch carefully. 

Allie runs it again, watching as Tobin throws herself at the walls of the cage, making these garbled, strangled noises. Alex looks away, hating to see how she’s suffering. She can’t hear the noises, but only can imagine how it’s driving Tobin mad. 

Tobin is now forcefully driving her head into the back of the cage, wobbling after the blows, desperately trying to find relief as she continues to hit the wall. Her movements are tempestuous and mad, she stutters after contact, woozy. 

“One more time,” Bati grins at Allie. She smirks as she clicks once more. 

Alex dare not speak, not to beg or plead for mercy on Tobin’s behalf. She sees the evil delight in Allie’s eyes, this is not her best friend anymore. 

The next round sends Tobin bouncing off the back wall, striking it twice before collapsing to the ground unconscious. Alex leans forward, seeing her bloody head, her flanks still rapidly moving from breathing heavy, tongue sticking out from her mouth. 

“That was incred” Allie starts as the lights go out. “Bati!” She cries. 

“Just hang on,” he says, his voice calm, “one of the those tasers has a flashlight.” 

Alex can only hear movement, her eyes straining in the darkness. Allie’s laptop screen lights up a small area, she turns it towards the table so Bati can find one of the tasers. 

Alex turns her head, looking blindly in the darkness, she gasps when she sees the reflection of yellow eyes near the ceiling, at one of the windows. 

There’s a sudden thump, Allie screams, Alex’s chair is thrown sideways, her shoulder bouncing off the floor, her head slamming against it. She cries out, there’s a moment of dizziness and then she loses consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, so thanks for the kudos and comments, I appreciate them.   
> If you haven't noted, this story will be 20 chapters, so we're closing in on the ending.   
> Also, as the author, I feel justified in leaving ya hanging on certain chapters only because I update consistently. If I didn't think I'd update soon, I wouldn't do it. 
> 
> So, be assured, you'll see the update very soon. Thanks for hanging around.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and fallout of what happened.

Saturday, October 5th   
2nd Day of the Full Moon 

 

Alex can hear soft voices murmuring around her. Her eyes are shut but she’s slowly waking up. She feels a dip in the mattress, a weight settling next to her. 

Wait, mattress? Where am I, she wonders, her eyes aren’t open yet, sleep still heavy. Her head hurts terribly, her mouth is sour and dry. She’s on her back, I’m out of that chair, she realizes, slowly moving her legs. Her body is stiff. Wait, I’m out of the chair. Where am I? 

“I’m going to start an IV, she’s gotta be dehydrated.” A quiet female voice says with a slight accent that Alex can’t place. 

“Okay, I’ll check with Hope and see if she’s done watching the tape.” Another female voice replies. Alex recognizes that one. Kelley. At hearing Hope’s name, a rage instantly builds within Alex. 

She pops open her eyes, recognizing she’s in her own bedroom. She sits upright so fast, her head spins with dizziness. She holds it with both her hands. 

“Easy there,” the woman with the accented voice soothes. Alex looks at her and sees a tall woman with black hair and kind, light blue eyes. “My name is Christine,” she introduces, “and you must be Alex, right?” 

Alex nods mutely, blinking rapidly and trying to stop the room from spinning. 

“Tobin should be just fine,” Christine gently informs her, “you took a knock to the head and have a nice bruise coming up.” 

“Oh,” Alex says, bringing her right hand to her scalp, feeling above her ear, a little tender bump making her wince. 

“Would you like some water?” Christine asks, offering her a cup from across the bed. 

“Thank you,” Alex reaches out for it, taking it in her hand and drinking slowly. She looks and sees Tobin lying next to her. 

“We watched.” Christine says quietly, “From the windows.” She sits down on the kitchen chair that had been brought in, reaching her hand out and letting her fingers softly work back some loose wet hair from Tobin’s forehead. There’s an ugly bruise forming just in her hairline. Alex watches as Christine ever so gently strokes Tobin’s hair, “She must love you very much.” 

Alex sees the sad, small smile on Christine’s face, then looks back at Tobin. She seems to be resting peacefully, most likely out of sheer exhaustion. Her head and shoulders are on a couple of pillows, slightly elevated, a blanket covering her. She’s lying on top of the comforter. 

Alex shoots her eyes up to meet Christine’s soft gaze, “I’ve only known her for two months,” she whispers, wondering if all of these emotions are coming too fast, if this was just some fantasy land where reality soon come knocking and it will all fall apart. 

“That had to have been very difficult to witness,” Christine says mildly, sighing as she continues to stroke Tobin’s hair. 

“I would have given anything to trade places,” Alex admits, giving Christine her version of a sad, thin smile. Christine nods, then a small grin appears. 

“If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is,” she says. Alex looks at her again, then down at Tobin. Tobin, with her pale face, dark circles under her eyes and cracked lips from thirst, she still retains this beauty. Even in her sleep. 

Alex smiles at her Christine, “You’re right. I love her,” she says, “with all my heart.” 

Christine nods and smiles, “I know,” she says, “she does too,” shifting in the chair to reaching her bag, pulling out a penlight and a small bottle, she glances up to see Alex’s curious face, “Love you. She told me,” she shrugs. “Can I check you out?” she asks, standing up and moving around the bed, “I just want to make sure you’re not concussed.” 

Alex nods, trusting the woman, feeling comfortable and at ease with her, answering her questions as she runs her through a concussion protocol. She trusts her because Tobin trusts her. Satisfied that Alex just has a nasty bump, she shakes out three tablets and hands them to her. “Tylenol.” 

Alex nods, swallowing them down with some water. She glances over to her nightstand and sees the clock display. It’s ten. “It’s Saturday, right?” she asks quietly, taking another drink of her water. 

Christine nods, “Yeah,” she shifts on the bedside next to Alex, “Listen, if you feel up to it,” she begins, “why don’t you take a shower? We didn’t give you one because we didn’t want you to wake up and freak out during it. It would have been weird.” 

“Okay,” Alex nods, giving her a little grin. 

“Then have something to eat and then Hope can fill you in on what’s going on.” Christine finishes her suggestion. 

“Hope,” Alex spits out, her teeth clenched, her hands forming fists. “I’m going to kill her.” 

A firm hand lands on Alex’s shoulder, Christine looking at her carefully, “I understand how you’re feeling,” she says, holding up a finger and speaking again quickly before Alex can cut her off, “I’ve never agreed with her on how she treated Tobin. Starting with her decision to convert her and going from there.” 

Alex relaxes a little hearing that, Christine’s grip loosens, “I’ve done all I could to help Tobin since it all went down,” she says, shaking her head, lost in thought for a moment. She looks back at Alex, “But know this: this whole thing has Hope shook. Hell, it has us all shook. She does have a soft side, a reasonable side, she’s not this unemotional monster that she comes across as.” She squeezes Alex’s shoulder and releases her, “Hear her out, she might surprise you.” 

“Okay,” Alex agrees, thinking that maybe she should, she wants to, needs to know what happened the rest of the night. She’ll be calm. She’ll let Hope speak, she’ll listen. 

She’ll decide if she wants to kill her after that. 

Christine gives her a hand up, holding on until Alex has her balance. Then she sits back down, next to Tobin as Alex gathers some clothes to change into. She feels disgusting in what she’s wearing. 

 

Alex exits the bathroom still feeling tired, but also a bit refreshed and very hungry. She dumps her gross clothes in her hamper, then trails over to Christine, looking over her shoulder at Tobin. Christine immediately stands up, gesturing for her to sit. Alex does, taking Tobin’s hand, caressing it softly, avoiding where the pick line is for her IV. 

A soft cry escapes her lips, the toll of the last day’s events catching up with her. She brings her other hand to her mouth to stifle her cries, feeling Christine’s hand lightly rub her back. 

“She might be confused when she wakes up,” she cautions, “I know she got her bell rung, I just don’t know for certain if she’s really concussed.”

Alex sniffs and nods. “She’s gonna be so sore,” she murmurs. 

“It just looks like she has bruises from the stun guns and banging around the cage,” Christine assures her, “although her left wrist looks pretty swollen. I found her brace and put it on, just in case she broke it again.” 

“I can X-ray it later,” Alex comments, still looking at Tobin. 

She stands up, Christine just gives her a look and Alex leans against her, the sobs coming. Christine envelops her in a hug, the taller woman just holding her. 

When Alex steps back a few minutes later, Christine hands her a Kleenex from the nightstand. “Want me to go out there with you?” 

Alex nods, feeling that Christine would probably be able to help diffuse either Hope or herself if either get riled up from their conversation. It’s strange to Alex that this stranger offers her so much comfort, but she knows she’s let her guard down because she knows Tobin trusts her. 

Christine nods to Kling in the living room and Kling nods back, standing up immediately and heading to the bedroom, obviously to sit with Tobin. 

Christine heads to the island where Kelley is standing, cooking something. Alex walks to the kitchen table, side eying Kelley with irritation as she sits across from Hope who is looking intently at her laptop screen. She sees her purse on the table, her phone and keys next to it. Tobin’s phone and wallet beside it. 

Hope looks up, eyebrows raised in surprised, then covers it quickly. “Good morning,” she says quietly, clicking a button on her computer and shutting the lid. 

“Morning,” Alex nods, looking up as Kelley brings a mug of coffee to her. She returns quickly with a sugar bowl, a small carafe of milk and a spoon. “Thanks,” she says, reaching for the sugar bowl. Kelley nods and resumes her work at the stove. 

“Alex,” Hope begins, shaking her head slightly, “I’m so sorry for you having to go through what you did last night.” She says, biting her lower lip for a moment. “And for Tobin to have gone through what she did.” 

She leans forward, closer to Alex, looking at her earnestly, “If we had any idea that Allie was such a serious threat, I promise you, we would have had people in place, more protection for you both.” 

Alex can see the sincerity on her face, she can hear it in her voice. She takes a sip of coffee and nods. 

“We recovered the camera,” Hope states, her voice subdued, “I watched what happened last night.” 

“Oh,” Alex says, leaning back in her chair, her hand toying with her coffee mug. She flinches with surprise as Kelley sets a plate of sausages, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit down in front of her and then a napkin and silverware. “Thanks,” she looks up at her. 

Kelley just nods, setting a hand on her shoulder, “You must be starving,” she says simply, going back to the island. 

When the smell hits her nose, Alex realizes she is absolutely starving. Hope lets her eats in silence. When Alex finishes, Kelley comes by, silently taking her plate and filling her coffee mug again. 

Her eyes follow Kelley curiously as she busies herself in the kitchen, Christine is just leaning against the wall, looking down at her phone. 

“We all watched what happened.” Hope clarifies. 

“Oh,” Alex replies, now realizing Kelley’s behavior. The four of them, Hope, Kelley, Christine and even the glancing look she had at Kling, they all had a haunted, shell shocked look about them. They were stunned. 

“I knew it was a huge mistake to convert Tobin within a week after doing so.” Hope admits. She takes a sip of her coffee, “I was encouraged heavily by those above me to convert her. To keep her from being recruited, or worse, by the covens. I had mixed feelings, we don’t really convert those who know nothing about us.” 

She looks down at mug, a finger tracing the rim, “With her sister dying during the attack, then forcing her to move,” she takes her head, “when we discovered she felt and remembered the pain of transforming, I knew our time with her would be limited.” she sighs. “It’s very rare for anyone to feel it and also to get the migraines. And to see that now, her transformations take even longer…” She looks up at Alex. 

“It’s very rare for any of us to feel pain during transformations. Tobin,” she sighs, “I can only think it’s because of her astrological sign. She’s an anomaly. She possesses such a dual nature, she feels things deeply. It’s a mystery why she feels the transitions, it really is. I think her being left handed throws a monkey wrench into the equation, but we don’t know enough about it to really say for certain. Most people kill themselves within a few months if they feel the pain.” She states. “Christine did as much as she could with her with the transforming and then the migraines. I could, we all could see her growing more despondent, more desperate. She was falling apart in front of us and there wasn’t much we could do.” 

Hope looks away, turning to look out the window, “I didn’t want her suicide to be on my hands.” 

She sighs, “So I put her lockdown,” she sighs heavily this time, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. She proceeds to tell Alex everything Tobin had told her about her lockdown experience and then tearfully telling her about the punishment she put Tobin through for refusing to convert a target.

It’s then that Alex realizes Hope is being truthful with her. It’s not that she trusts her one hundred percent yet, but she respects her a bit more. 

“I was thinking,” Hope says, looking at Alex for the first time unsure of herself, “I don’t know what type of plans the two of you have made about being together or anything, but I was wondering how you felt if I let Tobin go.” 

“What do you mean by that? Letting her go?” Alex asks warily. 

“I would like to officially release her from the pack,” Hope states as she looks directly at Alex, “I would like to set her free. Let her do her own thing, manage herself however she feels is best for her.” She doesn’t break eye contact, “She’s still very fragile,” she says, leaning forward towards Alex, “I was wondering if you plan on letting her stick around or if she’s going to be on her own.” 

“She’s welcome to stay here, but I can’t speak for her.” Alex replies, her voice even, trying to contain her excitement. If Tobin was no longer drawn and subservient to the pack and if the chemo treatment plan worked, she could finally, possibly be totally free.

Hope nods thoughtfully, “I plan on talking to her whenever she wakes up.” 

“I think you’re good for her, Alex, I really do,” she says, sitting back in her seat. “I know you probably hate me for all of the things I put her through and that’s your right,” she says, her eyes looking at her, a mix of regret, sadness and defeat. “I earned that, that’s on me.” She says, playing with her mug again, “I can only hope for a small measure of forgiveness and also giving her what she earned. Her freedom.” 

The two are silent for a minute.

“Alex,” she sighs, “I almost puked watching what they did to her,” she shakes her head and shoulders as a shiver runs through her, “she sacrificed everything. She was put through such immense pain, it was awful. It had to be gruesome to witness as well. What the covens could have learned from that tape and the power they could have gained if they had..,” 

“Chopped her up and sold her parts?” Alex asks, eying Hope expectantly. 

Hope shivers again at the thought of it. “Yeah,” she says, running a hand through her long, dark hair. “The fact that she survived last night gives her carte blanche with me. She owes me nothing, I, we, the wolf pack, we owe her everything. When I felt the pangs of her pain she was suffering, I knew we had to come.” 

“You could feel her?” Alex asks, intrigued. 

Hope nods, “Only a fraction of what she was feeling, but still.” She shrugs. “We could all feel how much she loves you, every single time she got back up to face the pain again.” She wipes at her eye, “It was really beautiful, actually. She loves you very much. She was willing to sacrifice herself for you.” 

They both wipe their eyes at that. 

“I was hoping she’d be willing to do a little work for us, just some odds and ends, just for a couple of weeks, until we found a replacement, a willing replacement, with a similar skill set.” Hope shrugs. 

Alex nods. This could be really happening, she thinks. 

“When is your birthday?” Hope questions, looking at her curiously. 

“December second.” She replies, looking at her just as curious, it’s an odd question. 

Hope shakes her head and smirks, “Figures,” she says, “You’re a Capricorn.”

“Uh huh,” Alex is still perplexed by this line of questioning. 

“There’s no way the two of you should be compatible.” Hope explains, “At all.” She looks down at her mug, “And yet, somehow, you bonded.”

“Bonded?” Alex repeats.

Hope nods. “In our culture, the wolf or werewolf culture, we find our soulmates through a process called bonding. It’s rare for it to happen, intermixing with true humans, but it does. I wonder if it’s because of your deep love of animals, being a veterinarian.” She gives Alex a soft smile, Alex seeing a soft side of her, “I bet you fell in love with her very quickly. You may not have understood what you were feeling, but it was there. This,” she shrugs, “undeniable attraction?” 

Alex leans back in her chair, amazed, “Yeah,” 

“Told ya,” Kelley interjects, grinning at them. 

Hope smiles at Kelley, a smile of pure affection and devotion. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she says. 

“You owe me a hundred dollars.” Kelley informs her, still concentrating on whatever she’s preparing at the island. 

“I know,” Hope replies, then turning her attention to Alex. “Don’t doubt your feelings,” she counsels, “they’re very real and Tobin is feeling the same way, maybe just expressing herself differently.” 

“How come she hasn’t told me about this?” Alex questions, “I mean, she mentioned kind of mentioned it, but didn’t really speak as if she knew about it fully.” 

“Because she was suffering from a crippling depression that entertained suicidal thoughts.” Hope states. “She wasn’t in a state of mind to even care about anything we tried to share with her. Christine and Kling made some headway,” she shakes her head, “but Tobin is one of a kind.” 

“Oh,” Alex mumbles, thinking about when Tobin shared with her the story of how awful things had been for her. 

“Before we recruited her,” Hope explains, “we watched her. She was busy almost every night, she had a wide circle of friends, endless amounts of energy and was always doing something.” Alex raises her eyebrows at Hope. 

Hope smiles warmly at her, “I think you’ll be seeing a bit of the old Tobin now.” 

 

“Alex?” Kling calls as she comes out of the hallway, looking at her, “She’s waking up,” 

Alex stands immediately, turning from Hope and trotting to the bedroom. “Tobin?” she whispers from the door, seeing her there, lying on the bed, unmoving. She gently crawls up on the mattress, tears streaking down her face. 

Tobin’s eyes are puffy and almost swollen shut, most likely from the pepper spray. She’s mumbling something and her breathing is picking up as she appears to be upset. 

“Mom,” she calls out, wincing as she turns her head, “MA!” she says louder. 

“Tobin, baby, it’s Alex,” Alex says, scrambling next to her, “I’m here,” she assures her, fumbling to take her hand under the blanket. 

Tobin chokes on a sob, trying but unable to open her eyes, groaning and trying to move her arms. 

“I’ve got you,” Alex says, lying down next to her, “I’ve got you, we’re safe,” 

“Lex,” Tobin cries out again and now Alex is unsure if Tobin’s with it enough to know that she’s here next to her. 

“I’m here baby,” Alex repeats, using her hand to touch the side of Tobin’s face, “we made it, we’re safe.” 

Tobin emits a choking sob, her chest heaving as she cries. 

“Why,” Tobin stutters, “why, why can’t I see?” 

“You probably have some pepper spray in your eyes still,” Alex explains, “we’ll rinse it out.” 

Tobin swallows thickly, “Alex?” 

“Yeah, it’s me,” she replies quietly, tenderly stroking Tobin’s face. 

“What happened? Where are we?” Tobin asks quickly, “Are you okay?”

“It’s alright!” Alex says, kissing her. “We’re home,” kissing her hard again, “We made it!” 

Alex hovers over her, using her fingers to wipe away Tobin’s tears, “We’re okay, babe, I promise.” She feels Tobin squeeze her hand. 

“I can’t move,” Tobin says slowly, trying to shift and move her arm. 

“You’re just super sore and exhausted,” Alex explains, “are you in pain?”

“My eyes are killing me,” Tobin admits. 

“What else?” Alex questions, moving up to kneel, still holding Tobin’s hand. 

“Head hurts, sore,” Tobin replies, licking her lips, “and thirsty.” 

“Christine gave you an IV,” Alex states, “you’re dehydrated.” 

“Chris?” Tobin questions, “She’s here?” she asks, attempting to lift her head. 

“Yeah she’s here,” Alex says, “and Kling and Hope and Kelley.” 

There’s a light knock on the door and Alex looks over her shoulder to see Christine standing there. 

“Hey,” Alex says, “come in,” 

“It’s good to see you,” Christine says, kneeling next to the bed, placing a hand on Tobin’s shoulder. 

“Hey,” Tobin replies, slowly struggling to move her hand. 

“Take it easy,” Christine advises, “you’re pretty beat up,” 

“We need to rinse her eyes out from the pepper spray,” Alex says, looking at Christine. 

She nods, “You got some saline in the clinic?” 

“Yeah,” Alex answers. 

“Hey, Kling,” Christine calls out to the woman hovering near the door, “go next door a get a couple of bags of saline, will ya?” 

“Sure,” she replies, bounding into the room, “where should I look?” 

 

“Thank you,” Tobin says, blinking her eyes rapidly, “that feels so much better.” 

They had rinsed out her eyes, fed her a banana and she was now blinking at them. 

“What time is it?” she questions. 

“It’s only eight in the morning,” Christine says, “why don’t you two nap for a little bit and then we’ll talk about everything.” She leaves the room. 

Tobin yawns as she nods, Alex settling in next to her. 

“We lived through it. You lived through it.” Alex murmurs, “I can’t believe it.” 

“Me either,” Tobin mumbles, shifting her head to touch Alex’s. It only takes a few minutes for their inhales and exhales to slow, then match and they drift to sleep. It’s a contented sleep. 

 

“Alex?” Christine’s soft voice wakes her, “Alex?” 

“Huh?” she asks, lifting her head from Tobin’s chest. 

“Can we have a couple of minutes before we have to go?” she asks, cocking her head to the side where Hope, Kling and Kelley stand in the doorway. 

“What time is it?” she questions, feeling Tobin beginning to stir. 

“Almost one,” Christine answers apologetically, “we have to do some errands first before, you know,” 

“Uh huh,” Alex mumbles, rubbing her face, she was really out. 

“What’s going on?” Tobin sleepily asks, blinking her eyes and looking at them. 

“We wanted to talk to you before we head out.” Christine informs her. 

“Oh, sure,” Tobin sniffs, rubbing at her eyes, as Alex sits up and scoots to lean against the headboard. Tobin winces as she slowly scoots herself up and positions a couple of pillows behind her back against the headboard. Alex does the same, looking expectantly at Hope. 

“What happened to Allie and Bati?” she asks. 

A sense of dread fills her as she sees Hope’s expression change. Kelley steps forward, a hand on Hope’s shoulder as she passes her. She stands at the foot of the bed. She looks sadly at the two. 

“Did Tobin tell you about the Cleaners?” she asks Alex quietly. Alex nods. 

“They were with us when got to Allie’s house. They were the ones who got into the house. They cut the power and took them by surprise.” She says slowly, frowning, shoving her hands in her pockets. “There wasn’t much time until dawn came before we transformed, we were there, okay?” she nods at them.

“The Cleaners,” Kelley says, “they brought all of our stuff so we had our clothes and everything when we transformed back. They packed you guys up, and the four of us and came here. Then they went back.” 

“I,” she pauses, “we all, trust the Cleaners and what they say and do. These people are professionals, they make sure there is absolutely no forensic evidence left that would implicate the two of you. I saw them cleaning up all evidence that either of you two were there. So, if you get asked, you weren’t there last night, got it?” 

Tobin and Alex nod. 

“They are incredible in making the deaths look like accidents so as not to arouse suspicion. Suspicion by the cops and also by the coven. The coven is on guard because there have been a few deaths already, but they _look_ like accidents, so they don’t know exactly if it’s us or just like, karma.” 

“Their report this morning stated that they sat Allie and Bati down at their dining room table and had them drink a couple bottles of wine and got them very drunk. They passed out, super drunk and put them in bed, naked.” 

Tobin has slipped her arm around Alex and is holding her tightly. 

“They spread their clothes about as if they undressed on their way to the bedroom, making it look like the heat of passion. They turned on the oven and while the gas was building, they knocked one of those kerosene lamps off the walls, making it look like it had loosened and fallen.” 

“Oh my God,” Alex cries, hiding her face in Tobin’s shoulder. 

“I got a text from one of them, they said the firefighters found them, both in bed still. They died from smoke inhalation. They weren’t burned, they didn’t suffer. There was no pain. They just passed out.” 

Alex leaves Tobin’s arms, “I need a moment,” she says curtly, leaving the room. Tobin looks on, concern etched across her face. 

Alex walks numbly out of the room, her hand covering her mouth, sniffling, as she nears the door, Hope slides past with Kling, Kelley follows her out. 

“I’m really sorry about your friends, but I wanted you to know, they didn’t suffer at all.” Kelley says, looking at her sadly, “It really sucks, and I can’t imagine how you feel about it, but they were on the wrong side, okay?” She’s quiet for a minute. Then she clears her throat, “There’s a chicken thing I made in the crockpot, it should be ready about four.” She informs her, her mouth twisted with emotions, “And there’s a breakfast thing in the fridge, you just need to heat it up for tomorrow.” 

“Thank you, Kelley,” Alex replies, touched by her kindness. Her annoyance with her dwindling from seeing just how upset she is with what has happened. 

“I’m not the asshole you think I am,” Kelley sighs, scratching at her arm, “maybe over time you’ll see it,” 

Alex nods and Kelley leaves the room. 

Christine finds Alex looking out the front window, “Alex?” 

Alex turns, eyes raised to meet hers, “Yes?” 

“I’m very sorry about your friends,” she says softly, “That was hard to hear, I’m sure.” 

Alex nods and sniffs, “Yeah, I can’t believe it,” she says, “I guess it’s going to take some time to sink in, that they were, you know, witches.” 

Christine nods sympathetically, “Yes, learning someone you care about is on the other side is a terrible thing,” she says sadly, “I know that for a fact. It doesn’t leave you for a long time, but it will and soon you’ll find yourself thinking about the good memories.” Alex studies her, thinking that there’s a story behind her words. Something happened to her in her past. A deep betrayal. 

Alex nods again, “I’m learning that,” she says, thinking of how’s she’s been coming to terms with her sister’s death. 

“Tobin has my number,” she says, “please call if there’s anything I can do, okay? Don’t freak out if you get interviewed, just say you weren’t there last night and tell them where you last were.” 

“Alright, I will.” Alex nods. 

“If Tobin has any edibles left,” she starts, “give her one about two hours before her migraine starts, then she can take the Fentanyl too. It seems to help her relax a lot more.” 

“She didn’t tell me that,” Alex murmurs, cocking her head at the woman. 

Christine shakes her head, “She doesn’t do it often because she felt like she would turn into a pothead,” 

Alex shakes her head, “Really?” 

She nods, “I think she really likes getting stoned and didn’t want it to get out of hand,” she wiggles her eyebrows at her, “and I think she didn’t want you to judge her.” 

“Well, if it helps her, I’m all for it, and I grew up in California, pot is everywhere, it’s no big deal to me.” Alex smiles, “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for her,” she hugs her, “and for me.” 

“You’re very welcome,” she smiles back. “So, if I’m in this neck of the woods, would it be cool to drop by?” 

“I’m sure Tobin would love to see you and I’d like to get to know you better as well. You and Kling.” She intentionally excludes mentioning Hope and Kelley. She’s not too sure about to know them just yet and she doesn’t know how Tobin’s feels about it. 

“Any time.” She smiles, “As long as you aren’t dragging witches or vampires or any other creatures of the night with you that could kill us.” 

“Okay then,” Christine smiles, “I know you’ll take care of Tobin, but let her take care of you, she loves you very much.” 

Christine looks at her, a question forming on her lips. “Can I ask you something?” she begins timidly. 

“Sure,” Alex nods. 

“Maybe I should explain something first,” Christine nods to herself, “when Tobin first came into the pack and told me about how painful her transition was,” she stops and looks over her shoulder, “I decided to film one, to see if it was different.” She says, her voice hushed, “It’s not something we allow, but I needed to see it to try to help her. When we watched with video this morning, I saw how prolonged it had become. How different.” She bites her lip, “Then, I was looking for some Tylenol in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and I saw the Cyclophoshamide.” 

“She’s so thin,” Christine continues, growing emotional, “is she sick?” She’s looking at Alex with fear in her eyes.

It’s at that moment that Alex decides to fully extend the trust Tobin has with Christine. “I’m treating her with it,” Alex admits quietly, “to kill the wolf cells in her lymphatic system.” 

Christine’s eyes go wide and her mouth drops open. “That’s fucking brilliant,” she whispers. 

They hear the others coming down the hallway, Christine glances back in their direction and looks at Alex earnestly, “Can I come back some time and talk with you with about it? She how she’s doing?” 

“Of course,” Alex smiles, touched by her overwhelming concern. 

They hug again as the others come into the living room and leave with quiet goodbyes. 

Alex stands at the door, watching them drive away. 

She hears her phone go off, finding it plugged into her charger in the kitchen. She has a few texts missed calls from Abby and a new text message. 

 

_Abby: call me when you see this. Important._

_Alex: What’s up?_

_Abby: omw over_

_Alex: Ok_

 

“Lex?” she hears Tobin, walking slowly and stiffly into the room, a hand trailing on the wall to support herself, “Are you alright?” she questions, looking at her cautiously. Her arm is in her sling and her brace is on her wrist. 

“Yeah, kinda,” she says, “Abby is on her way over,”

“Do you think she’s coming here to tell you about Allie?” Tobin asks, laying her hand on Alex’s back. 

Alex nods, “Probably.” 

“Okay,” Tobin nods, now rubbing her back softly, “what do you want to do?” 

“I think we should both lay on the couch,” Alex instructs, “I’m supposed to sick with the flu,” she says, walking over and picking up the blanket, “Allie told me she called Abby and told her I was sick and we closed the clinic until Monday.” 

“You should change into jammies,” Tobin suggests, “if you’re sick, you wouldn’t be dressed.” 

“Jammies?” Alex questions, “what are you, like five?” she gives her a small smile. 

Tobin smiles back at her, holding her close, “Yeah, jammies. Don’t you have any?” 

“Only sexy ones,” Alex replies, slipping from her arms, “maybe you’ll see those soon.” She says as she walks out of the room.

Tobin shakes her head, noting the kitchen is spotless, no evidence anyone was here. She lifts the lid of the crockpot, recognizing Kelley’s amazing chicken casserole thing. She gets a drink of water, standing at the island, thinking about how incredibly lucky she was. 

Tobin is eating another banana when Alex comes back in wearing an oversized sweatshirt and yoga pants, thick socks on her feet. She’s carrying the waste can from the bedroom and a box of Kleenex. Tobin fetches some pillows and a hand sanitizer dispenser and they cuddle on the couch, Alex under the blanket, watching TV. 

They don’t speak about what all that had happened, both needing time to process it. Alex soon falls asleep, Tobin fighting against it. She wants to be awake and meet Abby. 

Tobin hears the car pull up and she slowly gets up from the couch, she’s stiff and sore and feels exhausted. The bottoms of her feet hurt from running on the treadmill, her hands are tender. She feels pretty shitty and hopes to pass it off as maybe getting whatever sickness Alex allegedly has. 

When she hears the soft knock, she makes her way to the door and opens it, finding a tall woman with soft light hair looking at her expectantly. 

“Hey, Abby,” Tobin greets, opening the screen door. 

“Hey, Tobin,” Abby’s greeting is subdued. Tobin sees her eyes widen when they drift to her forehead and then glance at her arm. 

“Uh,” Tobin says, “I miscalculated how heavy a cabinet was when I took it off the wall,” she explains, thinking fast, “not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.” 

“Ouch!” Abby grimaces. 

“Yeah, I was helping Alex out, me and Allie redid the inventory room.” Tobin adds. 

She sees Abby look at her wound critically for a moment, “That looks super fresh,” she says mildly. 

Tobin nods, “I really just need to stay out of the barn,” she shrugs, “some horse tack thing attacked me.” 

“Dude, you do not have good luck!” Abby exclaims quietly, seeing Alex’s sleeping form on the couch. 

“Come on in,” Tobin gestures, shutting the door behind them. She walks over to Alex, shaking her shoulder gently. “Babe? Abby is here,” 

“Hum?” Alex sleepily questions, shifting her position. 

“Abby is here,” Tobin speaks softly, caressing her arm, “you have to wake up.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Alex shifts again, sitting up, blinking the sleep from her. “Hey, Abs,” she greets quietly. 

“How ya feeling, kid?” Abby asks as she sits across from her on the ottoman. She notes the waste can on the floor next to her. 

“Pretty crappy,” Alex admits, she’s not lying, she does feel awful. She glances over to Tobin who is standing by the couch. “I just don’t want her to catch this bug.” 

“Ah,” Tobin waves a hand, dismissing the thought, “I don’t get sick.” 

Alex laughs darkly, “I’ll remember you saying that,” 

“Abby, can I get you something to drink?” Tobin offers. 

“Nah,” Abby shakes her head, “I’m on my way to a call, but I have to tell you something Alex.” 

Alex looks over at Tobin and pats the seat next to her on the couch. Tobin sits down, looking at Abby. 

“Something terrible happened last night,” she begins, looking sadly at Alex, “to Allie and Bati,” she says, her voice choking up. 

“What happened to them?” Alex asks fearfully, she knows what’s coming, but seeing Abby this emotional is upsetting. 

“They, they had a fire at their house,” Abby sniffs, wiping a tear from her eye, “they didn’t make it, Al,” 

Alex’s mouth drops open, her face growing pale, “What?” 

“They passed away,” Abby nods, “the Fire Chief said from smoke inhalation.” 

Alex reaches over and grabs Tobin’s hand, clutching it tightly as the tears come, “No!” she cries, “How did it happen?” 

“They think one of their kerosene lanterns fell when it was still lit,” Abby explains, “they’re not positive but they think they left the oven on,” 

“Oh my God,” Alex exclaims, diving into Tobin’s shoulder as she cries. Tobin wraps her good arm around Alex, holding her close, looking up at Abby with tears in her eyes. 

“This is terrible,” she laments, “is there anything we can do?” 

“I don’t think so,” Abby replies, shrugging. 

“Bati’s family lives around here,” Alex says, her voice trembling and nasally from crying, “I need to call Christen and…everyone,” she realizes, her chest hitching, “oh my God,” she brings her hands to her face, sobbing. 

Abby looks at the clock, grimacing, “I’ve really got to go, Al,” she says gently, “but I didn’t want you to hear it on the news.” 

Alex nods slowly, wiping her eyes, trying to compose herself. “Thank you,” she sniffs, “How did you hear?” 

“I stopped by the bar for lunch and they were talking about it there,” Abby explains, “Glenn’s brother is a firefighter. I’m sure it will be on the four o’clock news.” She stands up, “If I hear anything else, I’ll let you know.” 

She spreads her arms for a hug, giving Alex a sad smile. 

“I’m all gross and sick,” Alex protests, “I don’t care,” Abby says, stepping forward and pulling her up in a tight hug. Alex begins crying again, Tobin slowly getting off the couch, trying to not give away how sore she is under Abby’s watchful eyes. 

The two walk to the door, Tobin trailing behind a few steps, “I’ll call you,” Abby says as she leaves. 

Alex shuts the door and wraps her arms around Tobin, sniffling against her. 

“I’m sorry,” Tobin says quietly. 

“I know,” Alex sighs, “it’s not your fault,” she looks at her, “are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin lies, she feels pretty shitty. Seeing Alex so upset just makes her feel worse.

Alex is looking at her critically, “Come on,” she tugs her hand, leading her to the bedroom, “Sit.” She instructs, pointing to the bed as she walks to her bathroom. 

She returns momentarily to Tobin sitting glumly on the bed and hands her a cup of water. She holds up a pill. “Please take this,” she asks, frowning at her, “I know you feel awful, I can see it in your eyes. Please take this Norco and sleep for awhile, I’ll be right here, making my calls.” 

“Alright,” Tobin agrees quietly, taking the pill from her and swallowing it down with some water. 

“Now, let me see your wrist,” Alex orders, “we may need to take some X-rays.” She helps Tobin out of the sling and takes off the brace, thoroughly examining her wrist. “I don’t think any bones are broken,” she murmurs, “but we should put some ice on that.” 

“I’m going to take a quick shower first,” Tobin says, “I feel super gross.” 

“Okay,” Alex agrees, “just don’t get dressed after, come right to bed. I want you to sleep for as long as you can and it might run right up until you transform,” she explains. 

“Okay,” Tobin nods, puckering her lips for Alex to kiss her. 

 

“Tobin!” She cries out, her hand hovering over Tobin’s side, her eyes wide with alarm seeing the small bruises on her side. Alex is holding an ice bag and had just walked in as Tobin was taking off the robe to get in bed. 

“It’s okay,” Tobin reassures her, “I’m okay,” her eyes give it away though. Alex can see how the pain she’s in has drained her of energy, the thought of sleep relaxing her to allow a few hours to forget all that has happened. The little bit of dread and anxiety she sees in them, the thought of yet another painful transformation tonight. 

Alex sits on the side of the bed, softly running a finger over Tobin’s stomach, balancing the ice pack on her wrist and making sure the towel is holding it in place. “I can give you something so you won’t feel anything tonight, if you want,” she offers quietly. 

Tobin gives her a sleepy smile, “That would be awesome,”

“Okay,” Alex nods, “I’ll be right back and make my calls here, with you, alright?” 

Tobin nods as she shuts her eyes, letting out a deep sigh. She feels like crying, crying for the loss of Allie and Bati, they were so cool, even though she’s only known them for a short time. They were good friends to Alex and Allie was her best friend which was obvious the first time she met her. She’s so tired, she’s tired of it all, she wishes she could just turn off her mind for a while and forget everything. 

 

Alex sat at the kitchen table in her notebook, making a list of who she should call about Allie. She had a little something to eat, trying the chicken dish Kelley made, being impressed with the woman’s skills. It was delicious. 

She turned on the TV in the bedroom, just before four o’clock, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching open mouthed in horror as the lead story showed the fire. 

“At this time, we feel this was a tragic accident. It appears the couple had been drinking and forgot to extinguish a kerosene lantern last evening. Coupled with the oven being left on, the fire spread rapidly, overcoming them with smoke inhalation.” The Fire Chief states, reading from his report. “We arrived on the scene to a partially engulfed home, firefighters retrieved the couple, they were both unresponsive. They were treated at the scene and taken to Mercy Hospital, where they pronounced dead on arrival. Smoke detectors were working within the house. The couple did not wake to escape.” 

The camera pans to the home, a quarter of the building open, the roof caved in, everything blackened with soot. 

“Back to you in the studio,” the reporter states. 

Alex clicks off the TV, gets in bed and begins her calls. 

 

“I’m so sorry dear this has happened,” her Mom says, “I know how great of a friend Allie was to you.” 

“Thanks, Mom,” Alex replies, wiping at her eye with a Kleenex, “it just seems so surreal,” Alex has made all of her calls, crying with her friends when she shared the news. She had numerous calls coming in after the news story, friends and clients concerned and offering condolences. 

“I know, honey,” her Mom sighs, “sudden death isn’t easy to accept,” 

“Yeah,” Alex agrees. 

“I’m so glad Tobin is with you,” her Mom enthuses, “I hope she’s been a comfort to you.” 

“She’s been amazing, Mom,” Alex smiles, “it’s like she knows what I need before I do,” 

“Aw,” her Mom sighs, “she seems so sweet,” 

“She is. She’s great.” Alex looks over at her sleeping form. 

“I love you, babe, take care of yourself.” 

“I love you too, Mom, I’ll talk to you soon,” Alex replies and they end the call. Alex sets her phone down and looks out her window.

“Oh, fuck,” she curses, seeing the darkening sky. 

“Uhhh,” Tobin utters next to her, her hand reaching for her head, her legs moving. 

“It’s okay, babe,” Alex hushes her, she’s pissed at herself for letting time slip away being on the phone and not being prepared to administer a sedation. By the time she runs to the clinic and brings something back, Tobin will be too far into the transition and Alex doesn’t know if it would be safe to dispense anything to her then. 

She gets out of the bed, walking around and removing the covers from Tobin, who is now hunched over on her knees, holding her head, muttering something Alex can’t make out. 

Alex hurries back to snatch her notebook, flipping to an empty page, sitting on the floor. She’s going to really analyze this. 

“Don’t fight it, babe,” she urges Tobin as she’s transforming, watching her struggle, “just let it happen,” she advises. 

She notes that it took sixteen minutes this time, four more than last night. It gives her a glimmer of hope that the chemo is working. 

Tobin is laying on the bed, panting as she recovers. 

“I’m so sorry,” Alex apologizes, “time got away while I was on the phone,” 

Tobin issues a soft, drawn out woof, rolling to her back and exposing her belly, Alex reaching over to pet her. Alex crawls up on the bed, lying down and stroking Tobin’s fur. 

“I just can’t believe we survived,” Alex states, wonder in her voice, “I thought for certain we would both be dead.” 

Tobin whimpers, flicking her tail. 

“All those things we talked about,” Alex says, looking at her lovingly, “we’re going to do them.” 

Tobin pops her head up, belly crawling to face Alex, doing that sweet talk mix of grumbling and crooning and giving her a soft lick on her chin, then she nuzzles her head into her chest. 

“We’ll figure a way to make to happen, Alex continues, “I’ll expand the clinic, you can run the barn,” she scratches behind Tobin’s ears, “you can be my horse whisperer.” 

Tobin’s head falls to the side, her ears flopping down halfway that’s just so fucking adorable to Alex. Tobin sighs deeply, giving out a contented rumble from her chest, using one paw to gently knead Alex’s shoulder. 

They lay there for a few minutes, both just thinking of what they’ve just survived, enjoying feeling each other again. Alex suddenly remembers about Tobin’s wrist and she slowly slides out from under her. Tobin issues a whine, rolling to her side as Alex gets up. 

“I’m going to get something to wrap your paw,” she explains apologetically, “I’ll be right back.” She ends up going into her bathroom, finding her bin with some elastic bandages and selects one that will do the job. 

Tobin patiently holds her paw out, watching with tired eyes as Alex tenderly wraps it. 

“Come on, are you hungry? Kelley made some type of chicken thing in the crockpot and it’s amazing.” 

After she eats, Tobin gingerly gets on the couch, laying down and resting her head on Alex’s lap. Alex grabs the remote, turning the TV on, flicking through the stations. It’s just about ten o-clock and the local news comes on. She feels Tobin tense up as she watches the report on Allie, head up and ears at full attention. She whimpers when it’s over, turning her face inward to Alex’s stomach and nuzzling it. 

“I know,” Alex comforts, stroking her fur. Her phone rings and she picks it up. 

“Oh, fuck!” She curses, “It’s Allie’s Mom.” 

She takes a deep breath and accepts the call, putting the phone to her ear, “Hello?” 

Tobin listens to the call, hearing the woman on the other end and Alex speak, comforting each other with the loss. Alex continues to pet her, gaining comfort from it as she speaks. 

When Alex ends the call, she reaches for a Kleenex, blowing her nose and using another sheet to wipe at her eyes. “That was horrible,” she states flatly, “I feel so bad for them,” her voice is softer, “they’re so upset. She was an only child.” 

Tobin nuzzles her as Alex cries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a broken record saying this again, but the sentiment is heartfelt. 
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and comments. It's a great motivator and I truly love hearing your thoughts on the story.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Tobin talk about Alex's conflicted emotions about Allie. They prepare for the wake and funeral. Tobin gets to meet Alex's friends Sam and Nikki. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> .

Sunday, October 6th   
3rd Day of the Full Moon 

 

Alex awakes to the combination of Tobin leaving her side and the painful groan she issues as she does so. She opens her eyes and sees her lying on her back, rubbing her wrist. 

Tobin turns her head to face her, “Morning,” she whispers, giving her a soft smile. 

“Hi, honey,” Alex smiles, leaning up to give her a soft kiss, “are you sore?” 

Tobin yawns and nods, “So sore,” she says, twisting her back and hips. She yawns again and then looks at Alex carefully. “How are you doing?” she asks seriously, “With talking to Allie’s Mom last night and everyone else?” 

Alex lays her head back on the pillow, pulling the blanket over her shoulder, “It just seems surreal, you know? Like, I feel a little weird for feeling so torn up about it. She was my best friend, but what she did to you…”

Tobin shifts and her hand finds Alex’s under the covers, “It’s okay to be upset,” she says, nodding at her, eying her seriously, “she was your best friend first.” 

“But Tobin, she tortured you!” Alex chokes out, “Her and Bati had it all planned, they knew exactly what they were going to do.” The tears begin to fall, “They were going to kill us both!”

“If you hold on to those feelings of anger and hatred it will consume you,” Tobin says gently, shifting and moving to cup Alex’s face with her hand. “You’ll never get it over it because Allie is dead.” She says simply, “She’s not here for you to scream at, to punch or talk to.” 

“How come I didn’t see it?” Alex cries, searching Tobin’s eyes, “How was she this, this witch doing whatever they do and I had no fucking clue?” 

Tobin moves her hand from Alex’s face and slides it under her neck and pulls her shoulder closer to her. 

“Has someone ever come out to you or you learn someone is gay and you’re pretty shocked about it?” she asks her quietly. 

Alex wipes her face, thinking. “Yeah, one or two,” she sniffs, wiping under her nose with the back of her hand, “I thought they were totally straight.” She doesn’t see the comparison. 

“Some people can be super skilled at compartmentalizing their lives. Being able to keep a whole other important part of themselves hidden from everyone.” Tobin states, her voice neutral and careful, soft and slow like she’s trying to get Alex to think about what exactly she’s saying. 

Alex drops her eyes from Tobin’s urgent gaze, focusing on the small part of Tobin’s t-shirt collar that has unraveled. 

“You had no clue because Allie didn’t want you to.” Tobin finishes her point.

Alex swallows, her throat feeling dry, that feeling of dread she felt last night returning. Betrayal. “It hurts,” she whispers, her voice cracking. 

“It should because you love her.” Tobin whispers back. Alex curls in to her, feeling her warmth, feeling safe, feeding off her energy.

They lay there for a while, not speaking, not needing to. Both are processing what they have gone through. 

 

 

“Babe?” Alex questions, standing next to the couch, looking at Tobin who is sitting there looking out the window. She’s been quiet all afternoon and it’s beginning to really concern Alex. 

“What’s up?” Tobin looks up at her, using a finger to push her glasses up higher. 

Alex sits on the arm of the couch. “You’ve been pretty quiet all day,” she comments, “are you okay?” 

Tobin scrunches her mouth up and sighs, she brings her hand around Alex’s waist to slide her on her lap. Alex instinctively places her arm around Tobin’s shoulder. 

“I’m struggling,” she says quietly, evenly, just admitting it. 

Alex marvels how in tune Tobin is with herself, how easily she can speak about her feelings. How committed Tobin is to communicating her feelings to her. She lays her head on Tobin’s shoulder, hoping the additional contact comforts her. Tobin places her hand on Alex’s knee in response, resting it there. 

“It’s super hard to gear myself up for the full moon phase,” she says, “I just, I know the pain that’s coming twice a day, and then I’m just kind of lazy and out of it during the mornings and afternoon. On top of that, the next three days are the migraines. It’s the worst.” 

“Christine told me about the edibles helping a little,” Alex remarks, “I grew up in Cali, Tobin, I don’t care if you use pot for more than just the migraines. Not if it helps you, especially since it helps with the chemo.” 

“Really?” Tobin looks at her closely, watching her nod in response. “It does help, with the migraines. More than, like, a Xanax or something.” She takes a deep breath, releasing it slowly, “It also kind of helps me be less anxious, just chill.” 

“As long as you aren’t irresponsible with using, like driving or something or blowing off your job, I’d be cool with it.” Alex replies, “But if it gets out of hand, like seriously, we’d have a problem.” 

Tobin shakes her head quickly, “No, no, no,” she says just as fast, “I’m not talking every day or anything or like, wake and bake. Just a couple of times a week.” 

“Oh,” Alex nods her head, “okay.” 

Tobin grins at her, “Is it weird that talking about stuff is so easy between us?” 

Alex smiles and nods at her, “Yeah,” she says, “I’ve never been with someone who I could do that with so freely.” She hugs her, “You make me feel so comfortable, like, I can tell you anything.” 

Tobin pecks at her lips, “Me too,” she smiles. 

“Since we’re talking,” Alex says, “I’d like to give you a fast acting sedation tonight when you transform.” 

Tobin grimaces, shaking her head, “I don’t know, Lex,” 

“Hear me out, okay?” Alex offers, “I want to see how you transform, if it’s different when you’re not awake and resisting it. I think some of the pain you feel is because you’re actively trying to stop it without realizing it.” 

Tobin mulls it over and then nods slowly, “I don’t know, though,” a sly grin spreads across her face, “am I gonna wake up restrained to your bed?” 

“If you’re lucky,” Alex laughs, slapping her shoulder. 

“Ow,” Tobin grimaces, flinching away from the couch, she rubs the back of her side, “can you look at this?” she asks, “Something’s like, in me, it hurts.” 

“Sure,” Alex says, standing up, “I’ll get my bag. Take off your shirt.” 

Tobin laughs, leaning forward and grabbing the hem of her shirt, “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls,” she sasses. 

“In your dreams,” Alex retorts over her shoulder as she heads to her room. 

“Gloves?” Tobin asks, smiling when she sees Alex dangles them with her fingertips in front of her. “Thanks,” she says, leaning to her side for Alex to get a better look. 

Alex finds it right away, part of the barb from the taser had broken in two, leaving this little piece just under the surface of the skin. She sprays some lidocaine on it, using tweezers to carefully pluck it out. She places an antibiotic ointment on then covers it with a small bandage, holding it down for a moment. 

 

“We’re just chilling tonight, I’m wrapping your wrist and we’re taking it easy. No goofing off, no humping me.” Alex instructs to a smirking Tobin. It’s hours later and nearly time for Tobin to transform. 

“What can I say,” she smiles overly sweetly at her, her eyes sparkling, “you bring out the animal in me.” 

Alex rolls her eyes, “Dorkball,” she says, “you’re such a dorkball.” 

Tobin’s transformation takes seventeen minutes this time, her movements fluid from Tobin being unconscious, it’s not as violent as when she’s awake. Alex wonders if the process would have been longer if Tobin were awake. She wonders if Tobin resisting lengthens the time to transform. Part of it has to be the horror she experiences every it happens. Alex can’t imagine what it must be like to feel and witness your own body changing in such a way. 

They relax on the couch, Alex getting sucked in to an old Jersey Shore marathon, Tobin sleeping soundly next to her. Alex snaps a couple of photos of her, she looks so cute, curled up on the couch, her tail covering her nose, just her head peeking out from under the blanket.

After a few episodes, she grabs her phone and sees that Allie’s Mom had texted her the info for the wake and funeral. She sighs as she reads it, it’s here in town. She sends out a mass text to her friends that would want to know. She calls Christen. 

“Alex!” Christen greets, concern in her voice, “How are you?” 

“Doing okay,” Alex replies, “Just, it’s just so still so surreal, you know?” 

“I do, I can’t stop thinking about it,” Christen sniffs, her voice laden with emotion, “Things like this aren’t supposed to happen,” 

“I know,” Alex agrees, “Allie’s Mom just sent me the arrangements. It’s like it’s real.” Alex pulls it up and forwards the text to her. 

“Yeah,” Christen agrees, “it’s just so sad. Oh, it just popped up.” 

There’s a pause in the conversation as Christen reads the text. 

“Oh,” Christen mumbles, “would you mind if Julie and I stayed at your place Tuesday night after the wake?” 

“No, not at all,” Alex replies. 

“I want to see Tobin,” Christen asks, her tone serious, “how are you guys doing? How is she feeling?” 

“Pretty steady, just nauseous, no hair loss, no other side effects.” Alex replies, “She’s using pot to help with feeling sick and her appetite is getting better.” 

“No stomach pains? Diarrhea? Sores in her mouth?” Christen questions. 

“No,” Alex replies, “nothing like that.” 

“I’m really glad to hear that,” Christen says, Alex hearing the sincerity in her voice, “How has she been through this for you?”

“Chris,” Alex says, her becoming soft and serious, “she’s been so supportive and comforting during this,” she sighs, “she just blows me away.” She feels Tobin shifting next to her, clumsily trying to get the blanket off herself. She gives her a hand, then softly strokes her fur. 

“That’s wonderful, Al,” Christen says, growing just as serious, “I’m really happy you have someone to be there for you.” 

“It feels really good,” Alex says, a smile in her voice to match her face. She looks down at Tobin, sprawled out next her. She had kicked off the blanket when she grew warm, now lying on her back, the top of her head up against Alex’s thigh, her wrapped left paw curled close to her body, the right one lazily dangling off the couch. Her rear legs are stretched out, belly exposed. 

They move on their conversation to other subjects, Christen speaking about one of her success stories with an ill child, Alex speaking about her stem cell success. They get into a technical discussion of cancer treatment, how animals can be different and similar to humans. Without knowing it, Christen is confirming and supporting Alex’s treatment plan for Tobin. 

They end their call with two others joining to stay at Alex’s house on Tuesday, their mutual friends Sam and Nikki. The two agreed to drive in from the city with Christen and Julie through texts and then Christen added Sam to their call. 

Happy that a plan was organized and eager to share her grief with them, Alex decides they should just go to bed for the night. Alex slides of the couch and kneels next to Tobin. 

“Tobin,” she softly calls, stroking the top of her head in between her ears, “Tobin, let’s get up.” 

Tobin’s eyes flitter open, instantly alert and she slides to her side. 

“It’s okay, baby,” Alex croons, “let’s go to bed.” 

Tobin lets out a deep moan, stretching out her legs before sitting up on the couch. She yawns and shakes her head, looking at Alex. She begins her crooning again, tilting her head as she emits these melodic, drawn out multi-syllabic notes to Alex who looks on at her smiling. 

She yawns and then gets down, still favoring her front paw, limping to the door. Alex lets her out, standing in the doorway, breathing in the crisp air and looking at the full moon. 

Tobin returns soon enough, not interested in exploring the yard. She wipes her paws once more, then walks to the bedroom. 

Alex finds her curled up on the bed when she enters minutes later after checking the house and turning off the lights. 

She does her nightly routine, changes her clothes, sets her alarm and charges her phone, then finally slides under the covers, scooting closer to the wolf lying there. When she lays a hand on Tobin’s back, she hears a deep sigh. 

“I really want a dog,” she says. Tobin mutters something, Alex thinks it sounds like she’s agreeing with her statement. 

Smiling to herself, she sighs as well, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. 

 

 

Monday, November 6th   
1st Day of the Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

 

“Woooaahhhh,” Tobin marvels, blinking rapidly as she looks curiously around the room. Everything is in slow motion. She turns hear head, watching with wide eyes as everything slides with her and then slowly catches up. She sees Alex lying next to her, sleeping peacefully. She smiles. 

She stretches out her legs and arms, yawning quietly as she arches her back. “Ah,” she sighs, feeling strangely relaxed and not sore and stiff. Last night was a blur, she remembers being in the exam room, then getting up on the couch and then going to bed in here. The details are sketchy. What did Alex give me, she wonders. 

She feels slightly hungover, as if she’d been up late, but she doesn’t have a headache. She’s just a little tired. She yawns again, turning on her side to face Alex, feeling a slight pinch just under her ribs. Her hand feels a bandage, she wonders where that came from, then remembers Alex took that barb from her side yesterday. Her wrist is sore but the tenderness on her hands isn’t as bad. She hopes when she gets up, her feet won’t hurt as much. 

She looks at Alex, studying her face, her light brown eyebrows, her long lashes, how the angle of her nose seems just so perfect on her. Her lips, those amazing lips. I am helplessly in love with this woman, she grins to herself. And she loves me. Her grin turns into a smile. Thank you, God, for sending her into my life. I didn’t think I could last much longer. She’s changed everything for me. For the first time since Katie’s death, I feel more like my old self. I feel, like, maybe, I’m kind of happy. I, I feel like there’s hope for me. Maybe I can get back to normal. 

She prays. I don’t want to ask of you, but if you could have some mercy for me, please, let this all work out. I’ll be your servant, I’ll help people, I’ll be good to Alex, my family, my friends. I know you understand why I did what I did, blocking them out. It was just to keep them safe. 

I know it’s your will be done, but if you can, if you would, please. I’m begging you. 

She stares at Alex, willing her to wake up so she can see those amazing eyes of hers. That blue, it changes shades throughout the day and from her emotions and moods. Those eyes that can make a shiver run down Tobin’s spine in desire. Those eyes that can make her feel more loved than she’s ever felt in her life. 

Alex wakes feeling as if something is watching her. She opens her eyes to Tobin, who’s smiling at her with a large goofy grin plastered across her face. Her eyes are glassy and her pupils are tiny, obviously still feeling the effects of the medication. 

Alex had set her alarm to wake early this morning and gave Tobin another light sedation. It was shorter in duration, she didn’t want her to be lethargic for the whole day. She chuckles as she smiles at her, “Good morning, how are you feeling?” 

“Super duper,” Tobin grins back at her, looking completely stoned. 

“Yeah, I bet,” Alex laughs, “how about we take a shower and then I can check out your wrist?” 

Tobin just wiggles her eyebrows at her, “Woo woo,” she laughs. 

 

“I’m so happy it’s not broke again,” Tobin sighs, looking down at her wrist, trying to flex her fingers. Alex straps the brace back on it, insisting Tobin should wear the sling for a few days until the throbbing sensation left. 

Tobin had sharpened up under the warm water and by the time they finished breakfast, she was feeling much better. She still felt a bit under the influence, but was much more functional. Alex filled her in on the wake and funeral and the plans to have people stay over. Tobin was looking forward to meeting her friends that she had spoken about. 

Tobin insisted on helping Alex get the house ready for guests, making a list and divvying up the tasks. Alex was pleasantly surprised the company where she had gotten the hospital bed was available to come and get it. She would get a fraction of what she paid for it back, but she was just grateful to have it gone. 

Tobin pushed one handed as Alex pulled the plastic wrapped box spring and queen sized mattress in from here garage, together setting up the bed frame and getting the pieces in place. 

The afternoon was interrupted with Alex receiving flower deliveries sent by her Mom and sister and a few a longtime clients. Mrs. Harrison had sent a beautiful arrangement with a personal note. Each time, Alex broke into fresh tears, the thoughtfulness of these people touching her deeply. 

They reviewed their game plan for Tuesday, Tobin offered to make lunch for everyone, so they wouldn’t be hungry during the wake. Her friends planned to arrive around noon, giving them time to visit and then get dressed to the wake. She would attend with Alex, just for an hour or two, knowing her migraine would be arriving at dusk. She’d get to meet most everyone and would then depart. 

She’d drive Alex’s car back, freeing up Alex to spend the evening at the wake and then if they decided to go out afterwards. Alex protested that she didn’t want Tobin alone during her migraine but Tobin waved her off, insisting she would be fine. 

“I’ll have plenty of time to get back and medicate,” she assured her, “I’ll just be in bed for the night.” 

She embraced Alex, hugging her tight, “I’ll be just fine, I’ve done this alone many times,” she reminded her, “you need to be with your friends tomorrow night. That’s much more important.” 

 

Tuesday, November 7th   
2nd Day of the Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

 

It’s a subdued greeting when the four women arrive. Tobin exchanges hugs with Christen and Julie, who in turn introduce to the other two women. 

“I’m Sam,” the Australian extends her hand to shake, “very nice to meet you,” 

“You as well,” Tobin grins, “Alex tells me you’re an ortho doc,” 

Sam nods, “Yeah, I’ve been setting bones for a few years,” she grins back at her. She turns and slings an arm around the blond haired woman next to her, “this is my girlfriend, Nikki.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Tobin shakes her hand, smiling. 

“You too,” Nikki says nodding as she keeps shaking Tobin’s hand, looking starstruck. 

“Uh, yeah,” Tobin says, growing a little uncomfortable at the woman’s stare. Do I have something on my face, she wonders. Do I really look that bad from the chemo. 

“Stop it, babe,” Sam hisses, pulling on her arm, “you’re freaking her out.” 

“Oh!” Nikki pulls her arm back, dropping Tobin’s hand, “I’m so sorry,” she blushes. 

Sam’s hand drops to her waist, pulling her close, “She’s a big fan,” she explains to Tobin with a grin. 

“A fan?” Tobin cocks her head, “Of who?” 

“You, mate,” Sam grins, “2008 Olympics?” 

“Woah, really?” Tobin steps back, recoiling with surprise. She glances at Alex who is smiling proudly. 

“Eight assists in six matches?” Nikki gushes, “amazing!” 

“Oh, man,” Tobin scratches at the back of neck, “that was like, ages ago,” 

The oven dings, Tobin looks back, “Hey, so lunch is almost ready,” she says, “come on,” she cocks her head to Nikki and Sam. The two drop their overnight bags, Sam handing Alex her jacket and Nikki blindly shoving hers into Julie’s face as she follows Tobin. Alex smiles as she hears them animatedly talking about soccer. 

Alex can’t erase the huge grin on her face as Christen hugs her again, “She’s really sweet,” 

“She’s really hot, too!” Julie whispers as she sets her bag down. 

“Stop it!” Alex giggles, slapping at Julie’s arm. 

“Come on,” Christen loops her arm around Alex’s. “She cooked?” Alex nods, “Good,” she smiles at her, “let’s eat.” 

“I’m not that bad!” Alex argues as she’s lead to the kitchen. 

“Babe!” Tobin looks up as Alex approaches, “I didn’t know Nikki plays professionally,” she says, “we totally have to go next season!” 

“Absolutely!” Alex nods with a grin. She smiles wider seeing how excited Tobin is and how Sam is looking on amused and Nikki is still starstruck. 

The women tease Alex about her cooking and rave about Tobin’s abilities. They settle into a nice conversation, then it turns solemn, taking about Allie and Bati. They’re all trying to gear themselves up for the next few hours. 

Nikki and Sam jump in to help Tobin with the dishes, the three talking as if they’ve known each other forever. Christen and Julie go through the house with Alex, looking on at the changes she’s done since they were last here, Alex explaining how Tobin helped her. 

“She’s why I was able to do it,” Alex comments as they stand in Jeri’s old room. She’s staring at the bed. The room is pretty much the same, now the queen bed replacing the hospital one. 

Christen rubs Alex’s back and leans in, their heads touching, “I’m so glad,” 

Alex nods, wiping at her eyes, “It was time,” 

Sam knocks on the doorjamb, looking apologetic, “We’re gonna start getting ready.” 

 

 

Tobin’s hand is cool and Alex knows her own is clammy from her nerves as Tobin drives to the funeral home. The car is silent except for Alex quietly telling her to turn at an upcoming street. They arrive at the funeral home to a parking lot that is mostly full already. Tobin guides Alex with a comforting hand on her back as they enter. 

They make their way into the viewing room, it’s filled with people, there’s a line to sign the guest book. Nikki stands with Tobin as Alex and Sam wait in line, quietly speaking to each other. Tobin can tell Nikki is uneasy, so she tries to keep the conversation light, asking her about her soccer career. She learns that Nikki met Sam in Australia when she played in the women’s league a few years ago. She was on the medical staff and they just clicked. It took almost a year for Sam to get her Visa approved and her medical degrees confirmed to align with U.S. standards. They’ve been living together for almost two years. 

Alex introduces Tobin to a slew of people, other veterinarians, stable owners, clients, friends, Allie and Bati’s families. 

When they stand in front of the coffins, a sobbing Alex buries her head in Tobin’s shoulder as Tobin’s holds her. They stand there for a few minutes, just letting the grief out. Alex allows Tobin to shuffle them to the side of the caskets near a photo board. She reaches over to the side table next to it where a box of Kleenex was thoughtfully placed, snatching a few sheets and passing two to her. Alex takes them, wiping her eyes, noticing that Tobin is doing the same.

It touches Alex, seeing Tobin so affected, so caring. She gives her a timid smile, leaning over to place a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. Tobin gives her a sad smile, her hand once again finding her back, trailing along as Alex heads to the back of the room where some friends are gathered. 

“Lex,” Tobin says, gently placing a hand on her elbow, “I think I’m gonna take off,” 

Alex nods, “Okay, has it started?” she asks worriedly, wondering if emotions play a factor as well as the moon on her migraines. She looks her over, still impressed with her outfit.   
She’s wearing black narrow leg dress slacks, black boots and a crisp black fitted button up. She had her hair tossed to the side so you couldn’t really see her bruised scalp and the few small cuts. 

“Not just yet,” Tobin shakes her head, “I can feel it coming.” 

Sam looks on worriedly, “Everything okay?” 

Tobin shakes her head as Alex speaks first, “She’s getting a migraine,” she explains. 

“Oh,” Sam grimaces, “that’s awful.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees with a shrug, “I’m gonna head out.” 

“Okay, we’ll see you later,” Sam says, giving Tobin a friendly shoulder squeeze. 

Alex follows Tobin to the foyer, hugging her tightly, “Thank you,” she says, kissing her, “it really means so much you came.” 

Tobin nods, putting her long wool coat on, giving her a thin smile, “Wish we didn’t have to,” she says regretfully, “wish it was different.” Alex can see Tobin is clearly upset about this. 

Alex lays her head on Tobin’s shoulder, “I know, babe,” she says, “I know.” 

When Alex rejoins the group, Sam pulls her aside, “Does she get them often?” she questions, looking concerned. 

Alex nods, “Like, once a month, but,” she says, “usually like, for three days, always at night,” 

“Does she take meds?” 

“Yeah,” Alex sighs, “Fentanyl.” 

Sam’s mouth drops open, “Woah,” she whispers, knowing how strong the medication is. Alex nods wryly, “It sucks for her.” 

“It’s awful.” Alex states, shaking her head.

Mrs. Harrington and Nadine step up to them, warmly greeting Alex and introducing themselves to Sam. 

 

 

“Ssshhhh!” Sam loudly whispers as they enter Alex’s house, she’s right behind Alex, a hand on her shoulder, dancing in her need to relieve herself. They had stopped by Glenn’s bar for a drink after the wake. He had greeted them knowingly, giving them his sympathies and a free first round. They stayed for a couple of hours, reviewing the night, who they saw and caught up with, what was new with everyone. Alex had only one beer, offering to drive. 

They enter relatively quietly for most of them having a few drinks. Sam takes off for the bathroom, kicking her heels off as she goes. The others trail in behind, hanging up their coats, taking shoes off near the door. 

“I’m going to check on Tobin,” Alex announces as she heads down the hallway, “and change out of this.” She’s wearing a modest black dress. 

“I think I want a nightcap,” Julie shares, “after I get comfy,” 

“I want to change, too,” Christen agrees, following her to the guest room they’re using. 

“I’m hungry,” a buzzed Nikki informs the empty room, heading straight for the kitchen. She clicks on the light, looking around and sees a note on the counter. She picks up the paper and reads. 

“Aw,” she says, frowning with her lower lip out a little, “she’s so sweet,” she hugs the paper to her chest. 

“Who’s so sweet?” Sam asks walking towards her, now in sweats and a t-shirt.

“Tobin,” Nikki replies as she hands her the note and opens the fridge. “You want a beer?” 

“Uh huh,” Sam replies as she reads. Nikki hands a Bud Lite to her. “Aw,” Sam coos, setting the note down and opening the beer, “that is so nice of her.” 

“Yeah,” Nikki agrees, hitting the preheat button on the oven. 

“Ooh, there’s beer?” Julie asks as she approaches, looking expectantly at the two. 

“And wine,” Nikki informs her. Julie shakes her head, “I don’t want a headache tomorrow morning.” She opens the fridge. “Ooh, there’s vodka too.” She keeps looking. “Ooh, there’s sweet tea vodka, I’m having that.” 

Christen comes out wearing sweats and an oversized Stanford sweatshirt. “We’re still drinking?” she asks, holding her hand to her hand. 

“You don’t have to,” Julie informs her, pouring the vodka into her ice filled glass. She offers it to her wife, “Try,” 

Christen takes a sip, “Ooh, that’s good, I’ll have one of those.” Julie kisses her cheek and gets herself another glass. 

Nikki brings a tray out of the fridge, setting it on the counter. 

“What’s that?” Christen questions, accepting the glass from Julie. 

Sam slides the letter over to her. “Read.” 

Christen takes it, Julie hovering next to her to read as well. “Aw,” they say in unison. Christen looks up at them, “She is so sweet.”

“I’m so happy for Alex,” Julie sighs, “What is that?” 

Nikki sets two foil covered dishes in front of them. Sam takes the foil off one to reveal a divided dish with fresh cut fruit and veggies. Julie opens the other bowl that looks like a pasta salad. 

“I only met her today, but I love her,” Nikki mumbles, she grabs a carrot stick, “I’m changing, put the tray in the oven when it gets hot enough.” 

Sam nods, picking out a piece of watermelon from the divided tray. 

 

Alex enters her bedroom, leaving it dark, heading for her dresser to pull out something to throw on. She kicks off her heels, grabs some sweats and a sweatshirt walking with them to her bathroom. She changes quickly, washing her face, taking off her makeup and earrings and pulling her hair into a ponytail. 

She leaves the light on in the bathroom, walking to the side of the bed, seeing Tobin has kicked off the covers, curled in a ball, shivering slightly. Her hand is on her head, blocking her face and Alex can hear her soft whimpers as she sleeps. She touches her bare arm, feels how cool it is and draws the covers over her. 

As much as she wants to stay and cuddle, she reluctantly leaves the room, shutting the door softly behind her. She knows there’s not much she can do to help her. 

She walks out to the kitchen to find the girls sitting at the table, munching away and drinking. 

“Your girlfriend’s the best!” Nikki exclaims as she stabs what looks like pasta salad with a fork and eating it. 

“Where did this come from?” Alex asks, confused. 

Christen points to the island, “Read the note.” 

Alex looks to right and sees a note, recognizing Tobin’s neat, slanted printing. 

 

_Lex,_

_I thought maybe you guys would be hungry when you got home, so I whipped up a few things. In the fridge, there’s a tray with some sandwiches to heat up. I made some beef, ham and chicken. They all have cheese on them, so sorry if anyone is vegan. Just throw them in the oven at 325 for about 20 minutes. There’s extra meat in the fridge if they want to make their own sandwich._

_Also, there’s some cut up fruit, veggies and a dip, the bowl has a pasta salad._

_I stopped and got some beer and wine, it’s in the fridge, red wine is on the counter._

_I hope you had a chance tonight to reminisce about the great memories you all have with Allie and Bati. I hope it’s those stories, the ones that make your stomach hurt from laughter and tears come to your eyes from the hilarity, that help take just a piece away from the grief you and your friends share._

_See you in the morning,_

_Love,_

_T_

 

“Aw,” Alex laments, wiping at the fresh tears, “Tobin,” she whines, wanting to go hug her and tell her how much she loves her. 

Her oven dings, startling her. Nikki abruptly leaves the table, “I got it,” she says, elbowing herself past Alex. 

A little dazed, Alex gets a beer from the fridge, opening it and sitting down at the table. Julie leans over, their shoulders touching and places her hand on Alex’s forearm, “That was really thoughtful of her,” she says seriously. Alex nods, sniffing a little. 

“She is fucking amazing,” Nikki states, putting a plate of twelve mini sandwiches down in the middle of the table. “Three each, one of each type,” she instructs, using a spatula to divvy them up to the plates each woman holds out. 

“Christen,” Alex says as she scoops up some pasta salad, “do you remember when Allie sent you that cookie cake when your dog died?” 

Christen and Nikki instantly begin laughing with Julie and Sam looking bewildered. 

“Okay,” Christin giggles, she turns to Julie, “this was before we met.” She says. “So, this dog I had, his name was Fur Manchu, he was a schnauzer with this cool goatee,” she explains, “I only had him for less than a year, he was a rescue with a heart condition and was about fifteen, so I knew he could go any time, you know? I just wanted whatever time he had left to be happy and not in a shelter.” Alex begins chuckling, knowing what is coming next. 

“He was a good dog and I loved him, but his time had come and the day after he passed, I get this cookie cake, you know the round ones they sell?” Nods all around the table, “I get this chocolate chip cookie cake at work, work, mind you, and I open it and..” she begins laughing, “it says, ‘Sorry about Fernando,’ and there’s this huge pink dick on the cookie.” 

Alex is laughing, shaking her head as she remembers. The others are leaning forward in their seats. 

“I’m like, who the fuck is Fernando? And why is there this big dick?” Christen is waving her arms, “I check the box and see it’s from Allie. So, I call her. No answer. I text her. I send her a photo of the cake. No reply.” 

“Then she texts me,” Alex joins in, “Why is Allie sending me a dick cake at work? Then she sends the photo. Oh my god,” she’s laughing just as hard as Christen, “I was next to Allie when she ordered it, she clearly said Fur Manchu and a dog bone.” 

“So, then Allie calls me, all frantic,” Christen laughs, her eyes tearing from it, “she keeps apologizing and saying she ordered it to say Fur Manchu with a dog bone.” She puts her elbows on the table, holding her head in her hands, “I’m just finishing my residency, my attending thinks it hilarious and snaps photos and sends them out to everyone on the floor.” She looks up at them. “People are pouring in to see ‘Christen’s dick cake,’” she air quotes, “it was horrifying.” 

“Then, Allie gets all incensed and calls the place, telling them how they fucked it up and asking why they didn’t think it was wrong.” Alex smiles, “They owner was just like, listen lady, it’s a weird city, we make weird shit all the time.” She laughs harder, “Then he pulls the ticket and tells her that it said sorry about Fernando with a big boner.” 

The table erupts in laughter. 

“That is hilarious!” Julie says, biting into a beef sandwich. She hums as she chews. 

“I call Tobin cooks every time we’re here.” Nikki states as she reaches for her second sandwich. 

“The girl can cook,” Christen says nodding appreciatively. 

Alex grins at them as she lifts the sandwich to take a bite, “And so much more,” she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively at them.

Nikki leans forward in her chair, “Is the sex good?” she whispers, looking towards the hallway as if Tobin would suddenly appear. 

Alex blushes, focusing on her food, regretting she said anything. 

“It is good!” Christen hisses, “She looks like she’d be great in the sack,” she nods knowingly. Julie raises her eyebrows at her. 

Christen looks at her pointedly, “Come on, Jules,” she says, “My success rate on knowing these things is on point.” 

“True,” Julie nods, then she smiles devilishly at Alex, “you are looking pretty well sexed, now that I think about it.” 

Alex just shrugs and grins as she eats, a smirk plastered on her face. 

“So, she _is_ a freak in the sheets!” Nikki exclaims in a whisper, slightly in awe, “My soccer idol is awesome. She’s magic on the pitch, she’s hot, she’s a lesbian and she’s so sweet!” She sighs happily. 

Sam and the others crack up at her. Sam elbows her, “And she’s taken,” she reminds her. 

“And so are you,” Julie points at Nikki. 

Nikki just nods, this cute little smile on her face, “It’s just so awesome to meet someone I looked up to for so long and find out they are just this amazing person.” 

Alex beams at her, “I can’t wait to tell her!” 

“No!” Nikki protests, a look of horror on her face and her hands up and waving them at Alex, “You can’t!” 

They tease Nikki for awhile and then start reminding each other about past crushes and horrible dates. The five of them get the kitchen squared away quickly, the exhaustion hitting them, all eager to get to bed, knowing tomorrow will be difficult. 

Alex slides into bed, seeking Tobin, wrapping her arm around her sleeping body, inhaling her scent as she lies her head close. She’s asleep within minutes.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day they bury Allie and Bati. Tobin gets some good news on her blood counts. Thanksgiving arrives and so does their families. Perry and Tobin had a conversation. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> .

Wednesday, November 8th   
3rd Day of the Waning Gibbous Moon 

 

“Here, baby,” Tobin offers Alex a coffee mug as she sits up in bed, “we need to get started,” 

Alex sees that Tobin is already dressed, wearing a knee length black dress with long sleeves and a modest neckline. She has on light makeup, maybe some mascara only and that’s really all she needs. A long necklace graces her neck and falls to her chest. Her hair is up in the bun with a black scarf wrapped around her head. She looks good. Too thin, but good. 

“Right,” she nods and yawns as she accepts the mug. “Thank you,” she says, eying her, “that was really nice of you to make that stuff last night.” 

“You’re welcome,” Tobin blushes, “thought it would be a good idea.” 

Alex yawns again, then gets out of bed, hugging her while holding the mug, “Thank you,” she kisses her cheek, “how are you feeling?” she asks, knowing she doesn’t truly get rest during a migraine. 

“Okay,” Tobin says, “I know I want a nap later.” 

Alex nods, “Me too. I’ll be out soon.” 

 

“Thanks again for breakfast, Tobin,” Julie says as they walk towards the doors to the funeral home, “it was terrific.” 

“Oh, you’re welcome,” Tobin shrugs, “I was up early and it wasn’t a big deal to make.” 

“Well, thank you for making it,” Christen says, “it was just what we needed for this morning.” Her breaths come out in white little puffs. It’s chilly. 

“And last night, those sandwiches were amazing!” Nikki enthuses, looking at Tobin with large eyes, still a little starstruck “Thank you so much.” 

Tobin blushes, “You’re very welcome,” she says quietly. 

 

“Of course, it’s a full mass,” Nikki whines in a whisper to Sam and Sam elbows her as they stand in the pew. They’ve already had a short service at the funeral home, then waited while the cars for the procession were arranged and the caskets were loaded into the hearses. Then the slow drive to the church. 

Sam gives her a look to silence her, Tobin nudges Nikki from the other side, rolling her eyes in agreement. 

Tobin is the only one in the row who stands and takes Communion. When she gets back in the pew and kneels, Alex is looking at her curiously. She’s still looking at her when Tobin slides into her seat. 

“What?” she mouths to Alex. 

“You took Communion?” Alex whispers. 

Tobin leans her head towards her, “I wanted a snack, I’m hungry.” 

Alex’s mouth drops opens, not expecting that response. She elbows her as she tries to stop the giggle that threatens to break loose. Tobin smirks at her, giving her a wink. Alex’s hand finds her and squeezes it, holding on for the rest of the mass. 

Tobin holds her from behind as they gather around the open graves, shielding her from the winds that have picked up. The sky has become overcast, rain is threatening. They’re assembled around a large headstone, Batista Arunga Los Santos etched on it. Tobin eyes it curiously, memorizing the name. It upsets her. That name didn’t come up in any searches associated with Bati when she was doing her background checks. 

Her eyes cover the people assembled, wondering if any of them were also in the coven. People from this community where she would be living now. Were there people here, knowing that Alex saw them that fateful night, she wonders. Is Alex still in danger from them? Is she in danger? Did Allie or Bati mention their plans to anyone before they put their plan in action, she ponders. She’s going to have to think very carefully about this. 

The large crowd is somber as the priest commits Allie and Bati’s souls. As the coffins are lowered, Alex breaks, turning in to Tobin’s chest, burying her head against her black wool coat as she cries. That sets off the others in their little group, tears streaming down their faces as the reality strikes, again, that Allie and Bati are gone. 

When the burial mass ends, they pay their respects once more the families and then make their way to the cars. Alex had said they were invited to the luncheon afterwards this morning, but over breakfast, the women decided to just leave after. Sam suggested they go see Glenn at the bar and have cheeseburgers in Allie’s honor and everyone was on board with that. 

 

After lunch, Alex insists on driving home as soon as she eyes Tobin and sees how tired she looks. She knows she didn’t much sleep last night. Tobin nods and quietly hands her over the keys under the watchful eyes of the others, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. 

The four women thank Tobin profusely once more, saying how wonderful it was to meet her and promising to make plans to get together soon. Tobin smiles, enthusiastic about hanging out with them, promising Nikki to come and kick a ball around during one of her off season training sessions when she’s feeling better. 

Nikki can barely contain herself with excitement at the prospect, thinking it would be amazing. 

 

When the two get in the house, Alex takes Tobin’s long wool coat from her, hanging it in the closet. She puts her hand on the small of Tobin’s back, guiding her to the bedroom. 

She leads her near the dresser, standing before her, reaching to remove her necklace. 

She kisses her softly as she reaches to undo her scarf, smiling at Tobin’s curious expression. “How does the bruise feel?” she asks Tobin quietly, “The swelling is gone.” 

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Tobin replies, “sometimes I forget it’s there and hit it on accident.” 

Alex eyes the wound carefully, “The cut is healing nicely, I don’t think you’ll have a scar.” She kisses her again, then turns around, looking over her shoulder at her through her eyelashes, “Will you unzip me, please?” 

Tobin smirks at her, “Yeah, sure,” she says quietly, her fingers nimbly working the zipper. Her hands reach under the fabric, caressing her sides, she leans forward and kisses her neck. 

Alex takes a step away and pivots to face her, “No, no, no,” she smiles, eying her lustily, “this is all about _you_.” She steps out of the dress, revealing a black camisole with thin straps and the black thong she’s wearing. 

She sees Tobin gasp and let out a shaky breath, her eyes roaming across Alex’s body. It makes her feel powerful this effect she has on her, it’s heady. “Your turn,” her raspy voice pierces the room. She seductively walks behind Tobin, now it’s her hands gliding along her sides, “I want you,” she whispers, her mouth next to her ear, slowly unzipping her dress, “I want to taste you,” she removes the fabric from her shoulders, sliding Tobin’s arms from the sleeves and letting it drop to the floor. 

She brings her hands around to feel Tobin’s breasts through the silky fabric over her camisole, cupping them, squeezing them softly, then letting her fingers circle her nipples as her mouth seeks Tobin’s exposed neck. 

A moan escapes Tobin’s lips, her back arching at the sensations. Alex’s hands leave her chest, trailing along her abdomen, then her hips, hooking her fingers in her simple black panties. She squats as she lowers them, letting them fall to the floor. 

She stands, removes Tobin’s top and then hooks two fingers with Tobin’s, slowly leading her to the bed, eying her with want and need. She needs her, she needs to let her know how much she loves her and how grateful she is for all she has done for her during this difficult time. This is all about her. 

“Lay down, babe,” she coos, “I wanna make you feel good.” 

Alex lays on top of Tobin, using her elbows to hold herself above her, staring down into those honey eyes, seeing how they darken with desire and want, how her pupils widen. 

Their lips meet and the passion explodes, Alex kissing her deeply and Tobin responding with the same urgency. Tongues twist, they’re moaning into each other’s mouths as Tobin’s hands roam across Alex’s back, fingertips skimming along it, then going lower, finding her ass, exposed by the thong, gripping each cheek and squeezing as she presses her down against her. 

They break for air, opening their eyes, looking at each other and then smiling. 

“I love you so much,” Tobin says, her voice cracking, “I can’t even explain it.” 

“I love you, too,” Alex says, leaning on an elbow to tenderly place her hand along Tobin’s jaw, her eyes shining with emotion, “you steady me, you comfort me, you keep me grounded when I feel out of control. You’re my rock, my anchor, my love.” 

She kisses her once again, holding her jaw, then sliding her hand down to her breast, circling her nipple. It’s already hard with desire, she twists it lightly with her fingers, pulling it gently. She dips down and sucks on the skin of Tobin’s neck, inhaling her light perfume mixed with her unique scent. Soon her mouth finds her other breast, tonguing it, sucking on it, raking her teeth on the nipple. 

“Oh, Lex,” Tobin sighs, continuing to press themselves together, slowly moving her hips underneath her. 

Alex licks her way down, spreading Tobin’s leg apart, glancing to see her glistening center. She’s so wet. It makes Alex moan as she nestles down between her legs, looking up to see Tobin staring at her, lips slightly parted, her breaths increasing with her heartrate. 

She smirks and dives in, running her tongue along the length of her slit, circling her clit and repeating the slow, agonizingly teasing pattern. She plays with her, alternating between circling her clit and plunging her tongue into her, hearing her sounds of pleasure. They excite her, making Alex want to hear them get louder, more prolonged. 

Tobin cries out, her hands grasping the sheets when Alex inserts a finger into her, slowly pumping it in and out, watching her face as she reacts. Instinctively, Tobin’s hips move with her slow rhythm, Alex, loving how she moves under her. 

“Do you like that, baby?” Alex’s raspy voice asks, watching as Tobin arch her back. 

“Oh, yeah,” Tobin moans, “faster, please,” 

Alex slides her finger out, inserting two as she increases the pace. 

“Ah,” Tobin gasps, struggling to breath, her mouth open, breath coming in quick pants. Beads of perspiration have broken out on her forehead, her stomach and chest glistening. 

Alex sucks on her clit, feeling hands on her head, softly holding her. Alex smiles as she circles her clit with her tongue once more. Ever considerate Tobin, who just doesn’t know that Alex likes to be treated firmly once in a while. Alex can’t wait to have that talk. Tobin already mentioned she didn’t mind her being a little rough with her. She’d like to hear more about what Tobin’s sexual preferences are. And her fantasies. 

With renewed vigor, Alex increases her pace, curling her fingers as she pulls out, sending Tobin off the mattress, crying out, hands back to gripping the sheets, then the headboard. 

“Fuck, Lex!” she cries, “Don’t stop!” Her hips are jerking, snapping up, so hard and fast she bumps Alex’s face. She’s so close. 

Alex plunges in as deep as she can, curling her fingers, finding that spot that sends Tobin to the edge. 

“Uhhhh!” She moans, her chin hitting her chest, her legs spasming and her hips bucking. 

Alex continues, her fingers beginning to tire, pressing them deeper within her, then curling as fast as she can. She hears Tobin cursing and moaning between her breaths, glancing to see the rapid rise and fall of her chest, her breasts rocking with the movement. 

It’s then that Alex take her swollen clit in her mouth, twirling her tongue around it, sucking on it, tugging it gently as stiffens and lets out a sharp gasp. Alex looks and sees Tobin, her mouth open wide, her eyes closed, body trembling. 

Noises come from her throat and she releases a deep breath, sucking in air as her head falls back on the mattress, her body becoming limp. She’s wheezing as she recovers, moaning on her exhales. 

Alex slowly curls her fingers one last time, causing an overly sensitive Tobin to jerk and gasp as her fingers leave within her depths. Alex licks Tobin’s juices from her digits, savoring the flavor, marveling how beautiful she was in her passion. 

She runs her hand over her mouth, wiping away the moisture, slowly crawling up next to Tobin. She lays on her side, watching, staring as Tobin’s breathing slowly returns to normal. It’s then that she realizes she herself is a sweaty mess, wiping her forehead, pulling the sweat into her hairline. She pulls a pillow down and rests herself on it. 

“Lex,” Tobin croaks, her throat dry, “that was amazing,” 

Alex leans over and kisses the corner of her mouth, “I almost came just watching you,” she says, her voice low and raspy. 

Tobin cracks an eye open to look at her, “Guess we’ll have to keep doing that until you do,” she says, turning her head and opening her eyes to look at her, “or maybe I’ll just have to help you out a little.” 

Alex grins at her and when Tobin puckers her lips, she leans in and kisses her. First, it’s chaste, then she feels Tobin’s hand on the back of her head, pulling her in for a deeper one. 

“I can’t feel my legs yet,” she says, looking down and flinching when they twitch once more from the aftershocks. 

“Looks like I did my job just right,” Alex laughs, feeling self-satisfied that she could render Tobin into such a mess. 

Tobin lets out a chuckle, her tired eyes looking at her, “You are a fucking overachiever,” she shifts, turning on her side, her legs still spread haphazardly, twisting with her limply. “Come here,” she beckons, bringing a hand to Alex’s breast. 

Alex holds Tobin’s hand on her, shaking her head, “This was all about you, love,” she says, “sleep.” She nudges herself closer, using a hand to push the pillow under Tobin’s head. 

“But I” Tobin starts and Alex silences her with a kiss, “Sleep, babe.” 

Alex closes her eyes but feels Tobin is still looking at her, she opens them to find those honey colored irises locked on her. She’s beaming at Alex, joy is emanating from her. 

“What?” Alex questions softly. 

“Lex,” Tobin smiles at her, “you were right.” 

“About what babe?” 

“My migraine last night wasn’t so bad,” Tobin shakes her head, “I think I actually slept a little.” 

“Really?” Alex says excitedly, she pulls her closer, squeezing her tightly, “That’s wonderful!” she exclaims. 

“Maybe we’re really going to beat this thing,” Tobin muses, her voice sounding sleepy. 

“We will,” Alex replies confidently, “I know it.” She feels Tobin’s body relaxing against her, her eyes shut, her breathes slowing. 

Tobin places a kiss against Alex’s head, “Stay,” she whispers, letting out another deep breath. 

“Always,” Alex says as she closes her eyes. 

 

 

Friday, November 10th   
2nd Day of the Quarter Moon 

 

“If you don’t feel good, it’s fine, just go home,” Alex insists. She knows Tobin hasn’t taken a nap today and doesn’t want her to get overtired. Tobin shakes her head, “It’s okay, I feel fine right now.” 

They are sitting at the reception desk of the clinic, just hanging out between appointments. It was difficult at times, Alex accepting the condolences of her clients, speaking of the many wonderful qualities of Allie and how she will be missed. Tobin has been greeting patients and giving Alex a hand during exams. Her wonderful calming nature with horses extends to all animals, Alex found out quickly. Even the owners of the dogs and cats that have come in have been impressed with how easy the exams and treatments went. Alex beamed at Tobin with every compliment. 

Alex had kept the clinic closed until today, going in early and tearfully cleaned out Allie’s belongings, boxing them up and wondering if she should call her Mom and offer to ship them to her. 

The other vets in the area had covered for her, Alex updating her social media for the clinic explaining the closing. Alex notes that for the next few days, Tobin is rather quiet, she knows she’s tired and not feeling all that great, but even when she gets stoned, she’s being much more introspective. 

 

Monday, November 13th   
2nd Day of Waning Crescent Moon 

 

Alex eyes Tobin as she sits at the kitchen table, her pill pinched between her index finger and thumb, staring at it. 

“Just keep doing your job, you little fucker,” she says, looking at it grimly before letting out a breath and popping it on her mouth. She swallows it down with some water. She looks up at Alex, scrunching her mouth up and slumping her shoulders. “I’m sorry I’ve been so bitchy these last few days,” she says quietly, her voice still a bit throaty and raw from screaming in pain during her last transformations and what she was subjected to from Bati, “my mind has just been working overtime and I can’t seem to get a handle on it.” 

Alex sits down next to her, setting a smoothie in front of her and her own breakfast plate down as well. 

“I wouldn’t characterize it as being bitchy, sweetheart,” Alex says, lifting her fork, “I know this isn’t easy for you.” She thinks maybe this would be a good opportunity to talk. 

Tobin lifts her glass, “Thank you,” she murmurs, taking a drink, “this is really good, babe.” She takes a longer drink, making Alex smile to herself that Tobin has more of an appetite this morning. 

Alex chews her oatmeal as she thinks of her response, she nods, “Do you think you’re anxious about the next full moon?” she questions carefully. 

“Yes,” Tobin replies, taking a deep breath, chewing on her lower lip as she exhales through her nose, “and I was also wondering what you think the next steps of treatment should be.” 

She nods, “Yes.” She says, standing up and moving to the fridge, removing the calendar from it and bringing it back to the table. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about that, too.” 

“Here’s what I’m thinking of for your treatment plan from here on out,” she explains, “we’re here, on the 13th,” she points to the calendar, “your chemo ends here, on the 18th. We’ll do bloodwork that day and express it to the lab. I’ll get results on Monday or Tuesday. If it’s clear, we won’t continue chemo or entertain a stem cell transplant.” 

“Really?” Tobin cocks her head up, “Wow,” 

“Yep,” Alex confirms with a nod, “remember, you’ve had six cycles of chemo and the labs right before the last full moon had shown the decrease in the wolf cells. Then, it was a seventy percent decrease, so I’m fairly confident that it will be gone after your last cycle.” 

Tobin’s eyes begin to water, she’s nodding her head, “Okay,” she says, “okay.” She looks at Alex, “But the real test will come with the December full moon.” 

Alex nods solemnly, “It will.” 

“It would be nice to deliver some good news at Thanksgiving,” Tobin sighs, “I still feel bad for just springing it all on them.” 

Alex reaches closer and rubs Tobin’s back, “I know,” she nods, “but your reasons were valid.” 

Tobin nods and finishes her smoothie. “When will I start feeling better being off the chemo?” 

“It could take a couple of months before you feel one hundred percent again,” Alex warns, “it just depends on your body. You’ve tolerated it really well, even though you felt crappy, just having the nausea and loss of appetite as side effects is super lucky.” 

Tobin leans over and kisses her cheek, “From what I’ve read,” she says, “I’ve been _super_ lucky with the treatment. Chemo can be so grueling.” 

Alex reaches her hand up and tugs on Tobin’s hair, “And you still have this,” she smiles at her. Tobin smiles back at her, reaching up to hold Alex’s hand. 

“And I have you,” she smiles, her honey eyes gazing lovingly at Alex. 

“And you have me,” Alex replies with a similar smile, “always,” 

“So, when would we check to see if it actually worked?” Tobin asks, back to business. Alex can’t blame her, this is her life and Alex hasn’t found a good time to talk with her about it. 

“Well, we’ll know when the next full moon comes and then if you get migraines. I’d still want to do follow up bloodwork right around Christmas and New Years. After that, we’d check again in three months, then maybe six months.” 

Tobin nods, “Well, we could be starting off the new year on a great note,” she grins at her. 

“I know we will,” Alex says confidently, “I can feel it.” 

 

 

Tuesday, November 21st   
2nd day of Waxing Crescent Moon 

 

 

“Here’s to the best news ever!” Sam raises her wine glass, smiling at those around the table. Nikki, Christen, Julie, Alex and Tobin raise their glasses as well, grinning as they clink them together and then take a drink. 

“Thanks, guys,” Tobin says shyly, “this is super nice of you.” 

“Well,” Julie leans forward, setting her elbows on the table, “when Chris told me the awesome news last night, I knew we had to celebrate.” 

Tobin blushes as Alex sets her hand on her thigh, giving it a light squeeze. 

“Absolutely!” Nikki chimes in, “And when Jules called me, I knew we had to come here,” she nods, “I knew you would dig it.” 

They are at an eclectic restaurant and bar in the city that has a very relaxed atmosphere, TV units hung at all angles, a mix of artwork adorning the walls with soccer paraphernalia as well. Tobin looks around, noting the USWNT scarves, Nikki’s team scarves with a smattering of jerseys and photos. 

“It also helps that they also have killer food,” Sam nods at Tobin knowingly. 

“The menu does look amazing,” Alex agrees. 

“Our SG comes her to hang out and watch our away matches,” Nikki informs them, “and we come here every once in a while after matches or practice to eat.” 

“It is super cool,” Tobin nods at her, “thanks,” 

Two servers approach, setting an obscene amount of small plates on their table, each one looking interesting and delicious. It’s a funky tapas place, the group agreeing to order an array of dishes to try and share. 

Dinner is enjoyable, Alex discreetly noting that Tobin eats pretty well, also seeing Christen and Sam stealing glances her way. It’s a work night, so they don’t linger over drinks after dessert, instead gathering themselves and hanging out in front of the place, giving their goodbyes. 

Alex drives home, Tobin beside her, their fingers intertwined, hands resting on the center console. In the five minutes it takes for Alex to get to the interstate, she glances across and sees that Tobin is sleeping. She smiles as she thinks about how awesome it was yesterday telling her that her results came back negative for any cancerous cells. 

They cried in each other’s arms, their emotions overflowing, relief flooding them both. 

Later that afternoon, Tobin shared that she wanted to surprise her family with the good news during Thanksgiving and she wasn’t going to call them today. Alex smiled, nodding and agreeing it would be a great idea. 

 

 

Thursday, November 23rd   
4th Day of Waxing Crescent Moon 

 

“So, Mr. Morgan, do you remember the last time the roof was checked?” Tobin asks, her, Alex’s Dad and her own father are standing in the main hall of the barn. 

“Tobin,” he smiles at her, “please, call me Mike.” He looks up at the ceiling, “I seem to remember Jeri calling me about it about five years ago,” he replies, scrutinizing the joists overhead, “I’m not seeing any water spots,” he’s shining a powerful flashlight up there, “I’d still have it looked at professionally before you start doing your renovations though.” 

“Mike,” Jeffrey Heath says, “I’m not totally familiar with barn construction,” he nods at him, “is it beneficial to insulate?” 

“Oh yeah,” Mike nods, “cuts down on heating bills, won’t have to run warm water through the troughs, it’s a good idea.” 

“I know this woman Nadine,” Tobin says, “she manages a stable nearby and I thought I’d pick her brain for ideas. Like, do we really need a hay loft if we have the side structure for hay storage?” 

“What would you do up there?” Mike asks, looking up at the loft. 

“I was thinking of maybe putting a couple of bedrooms up there,” Tobin states, “for guests to stay in,” 

Jeffrey rubs his chin, nodding, “You know, the plumbing lines are on the far wall,” 

Mike grins, nodding with him, “Wouldn’t take much to put in bathrooms, there’s plenty of space. You could probably put four rooms up there easily.” 

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Tobin looks at both of them, a shocked look on her face, “that would be awesome.” 

“Let’s go up,” Mike suggests, the three walking to the ladder at the middle of the barn. 

 

“You’d definitely lose two stalls,” Tobin’s Dad evaluates, “if you made one stall for the water heaters and the emergency generator you talked about. And then one stall for the staircase coming down.” 

Tobin nods, “Well, we have twenty-four, so I don’t think that’s a big deal.” 

“It’d make sense to insulate the whole place then,” Mike suggests. 

“I was thinking of a sprinkler system too,” Tobin adds, “I know it’s super expensive, but it would cut down on the insurance rates. It would also be a great feature to promote to potential clients for the safety of boarding their horses.” 

“And it would raise the market value tremendously,” Mike nods. 

“Sweetie,” Tobin’s Dad puts his arm around her, “I know you’re handy and would be able to do much of this yourself, but you’re still not feeling a one hundred percent and this is going to cost some serious money.” 

Tobin nods, “Yeah, I know,” she says, “we’ve already gotten some quotes on this and together Alex and I could just afford to this from our savings.” 

Both fathers grimace hearing that, but Tobin raises her index finger, “We just signed a deal with someone right now who wants to invest up to sixty percent of renovation costs and only seeks a seven percent share of profits.” 

Jeffrey Heath looks shocked and Mike Morgan just smiles and shakes his head, “Let me guess,” he says, “Mrs. Harrison.” 

“How’d you know?” Tobin questions, surprised. 

“She’s been good to Jeri and Alex for a long time,” he smiles, “I think she’d adopt them if she could,” he shrugs, “she’s good people.” 

“That she is,” Tobin grins back at him. “Oh, and reno includes to the cost of redoing Alex’s clinic.” 

“That’s an amazing deal,” Jeffrey says, hugging her, “I’m so happy for you.” 

“Thanks Dad,” Tobin nods, “I really think I’ll like it here.” 

“I’m glad,” he says, giving a grin to Mike, “looks like we’ve some pair on our hands, huh?” 

“That’s for sure,” Mike laughs, “come on, let’s go see if we can score another round of dessert.”

 

Back in the house, Alex, Perry, Jen and both moms are gathered at the table, sipping on coffee and tea. Perry and Jen’s husbands are watching football in the living room, good naturedly issuing smack talk to each other. 

“And you’re positive both of you can afford to do this?” Pam Morgan asks Alex, concern in her voice. Alex has just shared the plans her and Tobin have made. 

Alex nods, “Here,” she gets up and brings back her notebook, flipping it open to the page she jotted down all of the estimates and cost projections she and Tobin had calculated. 

She sets it by her Mom. 

“I haven’t told you the best part yet,” Alex grins, then revealing how Mrs. Harrison is investing in the business. 

That satisfied the group of all questions and when Cindy asked about what the remodeling plans were, they all got up to put on their shoes and grab their jackets. 

They were just getting ready to exit the house, when Tobin comes in with the dads. 

“Where are you guys going?” Tobin asks, looking at them all, “Black Friday?” 

“No, silly,” Alex laughs, giving her a kiss on the cheek, “they want to know about the barn and clinic. Come with?” 

“Sure!” Tobin nods enthusiastically. 

“Any dessert left?” Jeffrey inquires, unzipping his coat.

“Loads, in the fridge,” Cindy replies, as the women leave. 

“Who’s winning?” Mike calls to the guys in the living room. 

“Bears, for now,” is the reply. 

 

“Hold up a minute,” Perry says, grabbing Tobin’s arm as they were going to leave the barn after hearing about the plans, “I want to talk to you a sec.”

Cindy looks back, holding the side door open, but Perry gesture for her to leave. It’s just the two of them. 

“What’s up, Per?” Tobin asks, hoping it’s not what she thinks. 

Perry is giving her hard look, “Why did you leave?” 

Tobin sighs, her shoulders slumping, “I told you.” 

“No, you said you had to go for a job,” Perry answers back, her tone angry, “then you disappeared for over a year. Calling only once in a while, being super vague, nearly sending Dad to the hospital multiple times because he was so worried.” 

“What?” Tobin asks, her eyes large, “I didn’t know that.” 

“How could you?” Perry scoffs, her tone bitter. “You weren’t around.” 

“Per,” Tobin starts, but is pushed back a step from Perry. 

“No, you listen. I had to pick up the pieces of you leaving. When you left, I lost another sister. I had to listen almost every day single fucking day how much they missed you. How worried they were. Do you know they hired a private investigator to try and find you?” Tobin has never seen Perry so upset. 

Tobin is biting her lower lip. 

“They thought Dad had a heart attack. Mom cried at the drop of a hat and this is on top of losing Katie!” Perry steps back, holding her hand to her forehead. “If you were having a mental breakdown or something, I could understand, but you were calling from all over the country. Your friends keep calling me, asking about you. Now you’re here in the sticks, obviously seriously ill and you have a girlfriend. What the fuck were you doing?” she shouts angrily. 

“I had to go,” Tobin states firmly. “I didn’t have a choice.” 

“You had a choice!” Perry spits out angrily, “That’s bullshit! I don’t believe for a second! What was it? A boatload of money? Some exotic place to chill out? You wanted to escape the fact that Katie died while she was with you? What?” she shouts, the veins in her neck throbbing, she’s seething with anger. 

Perry gives Tobin another shove, her back hitting one of the doors to a stall. She feels weak, as is all of her energy is leaving her. She’s trembling and she hates that it’s Perry who’s yelling at her. 

“I had to go,” she repeats, her voice soft, “I had to.” She feels like her knees are going to give so, she slowly slides down against the door to floor. She draws her knees up, holding them with her hands, her head down. 

Perry kneels in front of her, “Tobin,” she says, her voice uneven with emotion, “I’ve been so scared for you, so worried. I can’t feel like this is good thing for you and Alex if I don’t know what happened to make you leave.” 

Tobin lifts her head, seeing the pain and concern in Perry’s eyes. “They threatened me.” She whispers. 

“Who threatened you?” Perry questions, her voice just as soft. 

“The people who attacked me and killed Katie.” Tobin shakily, the tears now streaming from her eyes. “They said they would kill you or Mom,” she cries, “if I didn’t do what they wanted.” 

“What?” Perry’s astonished, completely unexpecting this reply. 

“They,” Tobin takes a breath, willing herself to stay calm, “they were going to kill you or Mom to convince me I had to go with them and work for them. They threatened Dad, my friends, everyone. I would be responsible if anything happened to any of you if I didn’t do as they say. Katie was just the first example of their power.” She wipes her eyes, looking at Perry, searching her face to see if she believes her, “I had to leave to keep you safe. I couldn’t tell you. They would know, they had followed me for months before the attack,   
they knew all of my friends, they knew you guys, they knew my habits, they knew everything about me. I had to go to keep you safe.” 

Perry slides to her butt, crossing her legs in front of herself. “Who are they?” 

“A covert group,” Tobin sniffs, wiping her eyes again, “doing a form of vigilante justice for a very powerful organization. Very hush hush.” 

“Was it legal?” Perry whispers, leaning towards her. 

“What I did, yes.” Is Tobin’s careful reply. 

“What about the others in the group?” 

“They served old school justice.” Tobin says, “It would never make the courts. The people they were after were just as powerful.” 

“What it like, industrial espionage?” Perry questions, looking at her carefully. 

Tobin thinks for a moment, realizing it could be characterized as that. “Yeah,” she nods, “pretty close to it. We were stopping them from gaining too much power that would lead them to create some form of destruction on a global scale.” 

“How did you get exposed? Do you really have lymphoma or is it something else? Are you really okay?” 

Tobin sighs, looking at Perry, “What we’re talking about doesn’t leave here, okay? Everything I’ve said, I’ll deny if someone asks. We can’t speak about it. The imminent danger is gone, I’m safe and you guys are safe. I promise. But we just can’t talk about this freely with people. I don’t want Mom and Dad to know this much.”

“Well, if they ask you about why you left what will you tell them?” Perry prudently asks. 

“I will tell them the truth that I was threatened. That they threatened to harm you guys or worse, kill you. But, what I’m going to say next, we can’t tell them.” 

“I promise.” Perry nods. 

“Per,” Tobin warns, looking at her sharply. 

“No, Tobin,” Perry asks earnestly, “I will never speak of it, just to you, when it’s okay to. I swear on Grandma's grave. I promise.” She extends her pinky, making Tobin give her a small grin as they hook them and shake. 

“I was exposed and got hurt in the woods around here,” Tobin explains, “Alex found me and helped me. The group came by and threatened Alex that she had to take care of me until I was okay.” 

“What a bunch of assholes.” Perry mutters, “Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” 

“Because if real doctors found out what I was exposed to, it would have raised a lot of red flags, like national news kind of stuff.” Tobin answers, “Alex, she was amazing,” she gives Perry a wistful, “then it happened.” 

“What happened?” Perry asks, her eyes wide. 

“We just, like, fell in love.” Tobin shakes her head, “Per, I think I loved her from the first day. How sweet she was to me, how caring, how strong of a person she is, how incredibly smart, how attractive, it just happened.” 

Tobin stretches out one of her legs, “I mean, I was this complete stranger and she gave the group the hell until they threatened to ruin her with lies,” she says, “I convinced her to let me stay for just a few days until I could go, but when that time came, I didn’t want to leave.” She pauses a moment, “And she didn’t want me to leave.” 

She draws her legs up to mimic how Perry’s sitting with her legs crossed. “Everything like, just clicked with her, we just both were so in sync with each other. It was her who convinced me to try to look for a way out, to stop working for them, to use my skills against them and get out.” She looks up at the roof, then back at Perry, “It was her who used her medical knowledge to find out how to make me well again. It was all Alex. Alex has been my doctor, treating me for this. Not like, a real human oncologist. That’s why I’ve been so vague about appointments and stuff.” 

Tobin shakes her head again and sighs, “Perry, I wouldn’t be here today of it wasn’t for Alex. I thought the only way out would be to kill myself. I was ready to do it.” 

“Are you really healthy and okay now?” Perry asks, squinting at her. 

Tobin nods, “The bloodwork is looking great. I think we’ll know for sure on the next set of labs in December.” 

The two are silent for a minute. 

“It was fate,” Perry says slowly, “like the stars aligned and God put her in your path.” 

“I prayed so hard for a way out and God gave me Alex.” Tobin states, “I really believe it.” 

“You guys are really cute together,” Perry grins, “like, almost disgustingly cute.” 

Tobin blushes, then a wave of exhaustion hits her from the emotions. She yawns. 

“You look really tired,” Perry eyes her critically. 

“The chemo took a lot out of me,” Tobin explains, “it kicked my ass.” 

Perry gets up on her feet, reaching both hands out to help Tobin up and when Tobin stands before her, she pulls her in and hugs her tightly. “I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Perry whispers in her ear. 

“I’m so sorry for leaving like I did,” Tobin whispers back. 

“Come on,” Perry says, leaving one arm around Tobin’s shoulder, “we need a sister’s nap. I need to cuddle with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the final chapter is next. I'll be sorry to see this one end. However, the next part is already being outlined. 
> 
> Then there's the good news and bad news:
> 
>  
> 
> Bad news: I"ll be going away for awhile to work on some other projects. 
> 
> Good news: When I come back, it will be with the first chapter to Part 2 of Good for the Spirit. I hope i can do the original story justice. Keeping my fingers crossed. 
> 
> Thanks again for all of your support. 
> 
> What are your thoughts on this chapter?


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it- the first full moon after Tobin's completed chemo treatment. Will she transform?

Saturday, December 2nd  
1st Day of Full Moon 

 

 

“Nnnoooooo!!!” Tobin yells out, flailing her arms, hitting Alex beside her in the bed, she sits up, panting. 

“Tobin!” Alex calls out, alarmed, awakened from her sleep. She glances at her clock, it’s six thirty in the morning. “Just a nightmare,” she comforts, rubbing Tobin’s back, her shirt is damp with sweat. 

“I was a monster,” Tobin pants out, “it was awful.” 

Tobin had been having nightmares for the past three nights leading up to the full moon. Horrible ones about morphing into strange creatures and not being able to change back into human form. She admitted to Alex that she was terrified of transforming and also of being stuck as whatever she transformed into. 

Alex tries her best to comfort her, reasoning with her that the chemo fought off and eliminated the wolf cells in her body. Reasonably then, Tobin shouldn’t transform. But what if Alex missed something, what if the transformation is triggered by something in the brain. What if there was something she missed. 

She doesn’t share her fear, Tobin is a very smart woman and she probably has thought the same thing. It’s probably what is driving her nightmares. Alex thinks she would have nightmares as well.

 

Tobin is quiet for most of the day, not engaging Alex with any of her usual playful banter. She’s on her computer for a long time in the morning, just explaining that she’s working on a project. Alex is a little surprised at her being so vague, but she lets it slide. She notices then that Tobin reads her Bible for a long time and although Alex is next to her on the couch, she notes she doesn’t hear the page turn. 

She lets her do her thing, she knows this is how she processes what is happening to her. Instead, she just lets her hand drop on her leg, giving it a squeeze while she reads her research notes. 

When Tobin looks up and sees the clock, she slides off the sofa, leaving her Bible on the side table, silently extending her hand to Alex. Alex takes it, being led to the bedroom, where Tobin kneels on the bed, holding her close and kisses her passionately. 

Soon, clothes are off and hands are everywhere, feeling each other, kissing with a hint of desperation. They don’t speak, they silently communicate through their touches and eyes, losing themselves in each other. 

Alex knows that Tobin is terrified this could be the last time they’re together. So, she worships her body, making her peak multiple times, memorizing how she makes her cry out in ecstasy, exhausting her in the best possible way. 

When they finally come down, spent and holding each other close, Tobin looks at her tenderly, “I love you,” she says, her eyes beginning to water slightly. 

“I love you, too,” Alex replies, running her hand down her back, “we should get going.” 

Tobin swallows and nods, leaving the bed with her, going to the bathroom and returning wearing Alex’s robe. 

“Why get dressed if I’m just going to take it off?” she shrugs wryly. 

Alex quirks her lips and wiggles her eyebrows, “Remember that tomorrow morning, stud,” she smirks. 

Tobin chuckles and smiles, “Yeah, okay,” she continues to grin as they leave the house and walk the short distance to the clinic. 

“Holy shit, is it cold!” Tobin exclaims as she high foots it to the door, her feet bare. 

“You didn’t want to get dressed,” Alex replies slyly, opening the door to the clinic. Tobin nudges her way past her, flicking on the light, “Yeah, but I didn’t think it was this cold out!” 

Alex moves around the room, preparing the heart rate monitor, the oxygen tank, getting her critical care machines prepped, just in case. She’s nervous, very nervous, fearing the worst. 

Tobin wraps herself up in the robe, slipping her arms out so it will just fall from her when she changes. She sits on the padded mat on the floor. 

She feels the first pang in her head, “It’s starting,” she says quietly, looking up at Alex, fear in her eyes. 

Alex takes three large steps across the room, kneeling to hold her, “I love you,” she says fiercely, “I love you so much,” 

“I love you, too,” Tobin says, shuddering as another pang crashes in her skull. Alex lets her go, backing away slowly, taking her notebook out, having it at the ready to record her observations. Both are quietly optimistic that nothing will happen since her bloodwork shows such a decrease in any wolf cells. 

Tobin’s transformation begins. Alex is in shock, unable to decide if she can safely administer a sedative. She’s pissed again at not convincing Tobin to just let her be sedated, but knows they both really thought nothing would happen. 

Tobin’s screaming from the pain, it’s taking longer than ever, slowly morphing from human to wolf. Alex is crying, she wishes she could spare Tobin from this agony. Why didn’t it work, she wonders as she looks on at Tobin, now finally in wolf form. 

She’s lying on its side, panting, eyes closed. Alex carefully approaches her, warily placing herself in a safe position behind her. She lifts an eyelid, shining her penlight in, the pupil is reactive and equal to her other eye. 

She sets the oxygen mask over the muzzle, turning it on for a steady stream to flow. She attaches a couple of leads for the heart rate monitor, exhaling heavily with relief when she sees the pace lowering into the normal range. Tobin is just passed out. 

She lays down behind her, stroking her fur, murmuring soft assurances as Tobin slowly wakes whimpering. It takes a while for Tobin to start moving, clumsily getting her legs under her, Alex fearing that her mind may be muddled, something gone haywire with the brain chemistry. 

Soon she’s standing, looking at Alex, giving herself a full body shake, then she wags her tail, and tilts her head, the tips of her ears flopping down. She takes a step towards Alex, her eyes grow hard, Tobin issuing a low growl and then snarls, showing her teeth and begins to stalk her. 

 

 

Alex hurls herself up, awake and breathing heavy from her dream. She looks to her left, seeing a human Tobin sleeping fitfully next to her. 

Alex wipes the sweat off her forehead, pulling it back into her hairline, breathing hard. It was just a dream. Figures, she thinks, I’d have a nightmare about Tobin having a nightmare. The truth was, they were both feeling anxious about her possible transformation tonight. With the time change, it would happen sooner than later, which Alex was thankful for. 

She glances at her bedside alarm clock, it’s four twenty-seven. She’s got a couple of hours before she should get up. She lies back down, hearing Tobin muttering under breath, feeling her legs moving, reliving something she’s gone through or having a vivid dream 

She shifts over to snuggle close to her, spooning her from behind, Tobin relaxing at her touch. She thinks about the last couple of weeks. She smiles, Thanksgiving weekend was pretty wonderful. Before they sat down to eat, Tobin announced to them that her latest bloodwork had come back clean and she was in remission. 

Hugs and tears of joy were shed, before the oven alarm chimed that the turkey and prime rib roast was ready. That set the tone for a wonderful meal, everyone in a good mood. It got even better when her sister Jen announced that she was pregnant, then went to another level when a laughing Perry announced she too was pregnant. 

Excitedly they shared their due dates, only a couple of days apart. It was surreal. Their meal together was fantastic, both Mom’s sharing pregnancy stories and their Dad’s telling embarrassing stories about mishaps they had when the kids were infants. 

After dessert, the kitchen was attacked by the men, cleaning all of the pots, pans and dishes, the women putting all of the leftovers away in the fridge. 

They had eaten around three and finished their leisurely meal around five-thirty. Alex brought out two decks of cards and her poker chips, smirking at Tobin as she expertly shuffled them. The group played cards for a few hours, laughing at how competitive Alex was and how Tobin laughingly gave it right back to her. 

They called it a night amid more laughter at a pouting Alex who didn’t ant to stop playing, claiming she could beat Tobin in one last final game. 

Tobin took her family into town on Friday morning, having breakfast at the large truck stop of the far east side because she thought it was funny and the food was really good.  
Then she dragged them through the streets, finding some of the weird offbeat, shops that most college towns have, to browse through. She had carefully researched the shops, even stopping in weeks ago to check them out and make sure there was something cool for her parents and Perry and her husband to enjoy. 

While Tobin and her family were out, Alex, her parents and her sister went through Jeri’s belongings. They laughed and they cried and it was wasn’t as emotionally draining as Alex anticipated. She felt it was time and she was finally getting past it and letting it go. 

They boxed up the possessions that her Mom and sister wanted shipped to them, donating the rest. Alex surprised by them by asking them about the furniture. They walked through the house, her bedroom being the only area that they skipped, that was all of her own stuff. 

They boxed some special momentos and Alex noted a table Jen wanted sent to her. She explained that she wanted to finally put her own stamp on the house and that Tobin would also be moving her own furnishings here as well. What none of them wanted after that, would be used for the rooms in the barn, which seemed quite fitting. 

They finished up, Alex texting Tobin and agreeing to meet at Glenn’s for lunch. Derrick was there, hugging a surprised Tobin and begging her to come up the next night and teasing her to sing him a love song. 

They did go out Saturday night, back to Glenn’s with their sisters and their husbands, Tobin making sure to wear her hat. Their parents begged off, claiming they didn’t want a late night due to flying the next day. 

They had a wonderful time, laughing and drinking, their sisters telling embarrassing stories about Tobin and Alex. Every one of them went up and sang, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone. The crowd was fun, the other singers were great, but it was apparent that Tobin brought the house down. 

She was fairly tipsy in making her song choice to dedicate to Derrick, which was Holding Out for a Hero from the original Footloose soundtrack. As soon as Tobin hit the stage and the music started, the bar went crazy and Derrick got into it, coming up and flexing and gyrating comically alongside Tobin on the stage. Everyone was laughing hysterically at the two and their antics. 

It was after two when their Uber dropped them all back at Alex’s house, the promise of Thanksgiving leftovers compelling Perry and her husband to eat with them and then go back to the hotel they were staying at with their parents. Tobin was nearly passed out in the car, Perry’s husband giving her a ride on his back into the house, exhausted from the night. 

They were surprised to see the Heath’s rental car in the driveway, alarmed that maybe something had happened. When they all stumbled in drunk, they were shocked to find their parents laughing at the kitchen table. Alex and Tobin confusedly questioning them on what was going on. 

They came in, talking over each other, slowly realizing their moms were tipsy and their dads had found Tobin’s special cookies and were high as fuck. This discovery didn’t stop them from raiding the fridge, sitting down with them all, rehashing the night and laughing at the stories. 

It was so late that Alex insisted everyone just stay over, finding the air mattress for Perry and her husband, letting Tobin’s parents use their bedroom and her and Tobin cuddled on the couch.

Tobin slept through the beginning of breakfast, waking from Perry delightfully dripping water on her face, her favorite way to torment Tobin when they were kids. 

The goodbyes were tearful as their families departed, the Heath’s back to their hotel and then the airport, the Morgan’s to the airport a little later. 

Alex was just as exhausted as Tobin, but she was also a bit hungover and tired from staying up. They didn’t change from their pj’s all day, opting to just lounge around, napping and watching TV. 

The rest of the week, the two made lists of tasks, starting with the clinic and then the barn. They worked on finishing their business plan, mission statement and what their goals were going to be. Alex noted that Tobin seemed to be on her laptop quite a bit, shrugging it off as just catching up on some odds and ends. 

Alex met with the vets in the Tri County group she belonged to, answering their questions about surgical availability, different scenarios and payment options. They were all on board for having a facility so much closer to the stables, happy and excited for Alex in taking this next step. 

Alex used this time to discuss personnel questions she had and Abby offered to assist in screening potential new hires with her. She spoke to them about Tobin working with Nadine about the stable, asking their opinion of how many post-surgical and recovery stalls they should have in the barn. They discussed the equipment that would be needed, licensing and state regulations and other details that needed to be addressed. 

Alex was surprised when Tobin told her she had contacted Julie about doing a market research study on the area to find out the current stables and their boarding fees, features and benefits and the like. Julie called back to tell them both she would gladly take it on for free because that’s what friends do for each other. 

Everything seems to be moving in the right direction. Tobin is feeling slightly better, still needing to nap a few times per day, but not pushing herself physically or being silly about taking on too much. 

The only part to the puzzle of their lives right now that Alex and Tobin were anxious about is this full moon and seeing what would happen. 

 

 

Alex thinks the day is progressing just like the dream she awoke from this morning. She’s hoping it’s not like a Final Destination type of thing. Tobin is quiet, lounging on the couch, occasionally drifting off to sleep or just sluggishly watching TV. 

“Hey,” Tobin says, dropping an envelope with Alex’s name on it on the top of the pile pf papers. 

“What’s this?” Alex questions, looking up at her a bit startled. 

Tobin scrunches up her mouth, shifting her weight from one leg to the other, she scratches the back of her neck. “Um, just open it if something goes really wrong and I don’t shift back into me or if I do and I’m really fucked up.” 

“Tobin!” Alex exclaims, pushing her chair back, the legs making a loud noise as they slide across the floor. 

Tobin holds Alex’s hands, “It’s got some information in it and directions for you to follow,” she explains, “if I’m not able to speak for myself.” 

“Babe, I can’t” Alex starts, but quiets when Tobin holds up a finger. 

“I need to know you’ll do this,” Tobin urges her, “I need to know you’ll take care of things,” she says, dropping her eyes, “I need to have things taken care of a certain way, so it will be easier on everyone when I’m gone.”

“Babe,” Alex says, her eyes watering, “you won’t be gone,” 

Tobin nods, her lips pressed firmly together, “I have faith it will be fine,” she says, “I really do,” she wipes at her eye, “but I need you to do this for me, please, just promise me you’ll follow the instructions if something goes horribly wrong.”

Alex looks at her steadily, seeing the urgency in Tobin’s eyes, she nods, “I will,” she says, “I promise to follow your wishes.” 

“Thank you,” Tobin says as she hugs her tightly, “I love you,” 

“I love you, too,” Alex replies, holding the back of Tobin’s head, keeping her. 

“We’ll build a bonfire and burn it on the Friday, okay?” Tobin suggests. 

“We will.” Alex agrees, kissing her. 

 

Alex watches as Tobin grabs her laptop, heading back to the couch so Alex can continue her work. She watches when Tobin eats a laced cookie bout a half an hour later and just before noon she is in the kitchen, humming as she looks in the fridge to consider what to make for lunch. 

Alex has been at the kitchen table all morning, sorting through Jeri’s past three years of tax returns and operation costs, assembling the numbers of boarders, the rates, the expenses incurred. Tobin has offered to create a spreadsheet for them use so they can review it and see what they can possibly expect. 

Together they are creating a master plan of the total cost of operating the clinic and the barn, wanting to do their best to have it be as complete as possible. Mrs. Harrison has offered to help them review it and make any suggestions that they should consider. 

“Whatcha making, hon?” Alex asks, grinning as she sees Tobin licking her lips and nodding as she is pulling items from the fridge. She’s still shook from the envelop sitting on the table but is determined to not let it keep her from keeping Tobin in a good mood and not be nervous for tonight.

“I was thinking about some chicken stir fry for lunch and then after we eat, I’m going to get dinner ready too.” She gives her a wide grin, her eyes half lidded. She’s pretty stoned. 

“Oh, you thinking of eating tonight?” Alex tilts her head at her, Tobin doesn’t normally eat dinner on the full moon nights. 

Tobin nods at her, still grinning, “Absolutely,” she nods, “we’ll be celebrating,” 

Alex arches an eyebrow at her, grinning, happy she’s trying to be positive, “Is that so?” 

Tobin nods affirmatively, “Yes, because I won’t be a wolf, I’ll be me, Tobin the Human.” She says, “And then, after dinner, we’re going to have crazy, hot sex until we pass out from exhaustion.” 

“Oh,” Alex says, pushing back her chair and walking next to her at the island, “guess it’s a good thing I shaved my legs this morning,” she giggles, rubbing Tobin’s back.

Tobin leers at her looking down at her cleavage from her v-neck shirt, she licks her lips, “I was thinking we could open your bag of tricks and find something to play with,” she says, her voice low and sultry. 

Alex moves behind her, hugging her and locking her arms around her waist, “I think I don’t want you to get away from me tonight,” Alex husks in her ear, “I think I need to tie you up and have my way with you.” 

Tobin gulps, turning her head slightly as Alex begins to suck on her neck, “Okay,” she breathes out, “we could do that,” she nods, shutting her eyes, letting Alex work on her neck, “that would work,” she breathes out, reveling in the feeling. 

Alex continues licking and sucking on Tobin’s smooth skin, loving the effect she has on her. 

“Oh shit!” Tobin exclaims, grabbing the pan and moving it off the burner, “Lunch is ready,” she shakes her head at Alex and laughs. 

Alex laughs, “Ha! Ha! Ha!” she’s grinning wildly, “I had you going, huh?” 

“Oh man,” Tobin shakes her head, “yeah!” 

Alex smacks Tobin’s ass, “I’ll make it up to you tonight,” She goes to get glasses and plates. 

 

They didn’t make it to dinner, they barely made it through lunch, before the shared looks and innuendo filled conversation led them to the bedroom. 

Tobin undresses Alex reverently, each piece of clothing removed with the utmost care, mixed with her hands caressing Alex’s body until she’s bare before her. She kneels before her, looking up at her with adoration. 

“I love you so much,” she says, smiling at her, gently caressing the front of Alex’s thighs, “when I first saw you, I thought I was dead and you were an angel,” she smirks, “well, I don’t know that angels tie people to beds, but you know what I mean.” 

Alex chuckles, appreciating Tobin’s sense of humor, sliding her hands down, taking Tobin’s hands from her thighs, gripping them lightly, pulling a little to make her stand before her.

“You made me so nervous when I met you,” Alex confesses, “granted, I thought you would have me put in jail because I hit you, but I was just, like, entranced with you. I didn’t want you to go. I didn’t understand what I was feeling, I’ve never felt so strongly about someone I had ever just met.” 

She slowly directs Tobin to the bed, “We’re gonna be together for a long time, babe,” Alex continues, “I know you’re nervous about tonight, but I just know it’s all gonna be alright.” She smirks and pushes her onto the mattress, “And now, I’m gonna blow your mind,” she leans forward and kisses her roughly, urgently, “you’re all mine.” 

 

“Alex!” Tobin says sharply, “I swear to God, I’m going to piss the bed if you don’t untie me,” she warns as she tugs against the straps holding her wrists to the bedframe. 

Alex falls on Tobin’s chest, making her grunt, “Fuck, Lex,” she mutters, feeling Alex’s breasts against hers. Alex is reaching up to free Tobin’s hand, sliding against her, they’re both so sweaty. When she gets the first one done, she intentionally moves her chest into Tobin’s face, hoping to entice her. 

When she frees Tobin, she sits on the bed, pouting. “Too bad I got rid of those diapers,” she sighs. 

Tobin is sitting up, letting her dizziness pass, she turns to her, smirking, “You are such a kinky little bitch,” she grins, slowly shaking her head from to side to side while leaning towards her, puckering her lips. 

Alex smiles brightly at the compliment, bestowing a sloppy kiss on Tobin, beaming up at her as she shakily leaves the bed. 

“Woah,” Tobin says, her legs a little wobbly as she makes her way to the bathroom. 

When Tobin returns minutes later, she stands at the foot of the bed, surveying the scene. Alex is naked, sitting on the bed, legs stretched out, her arms supporting her as she leans back, sex toys strewn about the sheets. She’s giving Tobin this shit eating, satisfied grin, eying Tobin’s nakedness appreciatively. 

Tobin kneels on the bed, slowly crawling up to Alex, leaning forward to kiss her softly. 

“That was amazing,” Tobin smiles against Alex’s lips, “I didn’t know half of what you were doing, but, fuck, it was incredible.” 

Alex chuckles and kisses her again, then leans forward to touch foreheads, “You know what is really incredible?” she asks, her voice husky from their exertions. 

“What’s that?” Tobin asks, pulling back a little to look at her expectantly. 

“It’s seven-thirty.” Alex smiles at her, her eyes dancing. She waits for Tobin to realize what that means. 

“I didn’t change,” Tobin whispers, her mouth dropping open. The smile that spreads across her face radiates pure joy. “I didn’t change,” she repeats, now grinning wildly at Alex. 

“You didn’t change,” Alex breathes out, the relief flooding through her. She leans forward to hold her, pulling her down on top of her. 

“I can’t believe it,” Tobin states, her eyes beginning to water, “I prayed so hard,” she’s crying now, her tears a mix of joy and relief, “whatever His will was, I would be willing to take.” 

Alex holds her, tears leaking from her own eyes, “I was praying, too,” she says quietly, her voice uneven. 

Tobin pulls her head back to look at Alex, “This never would have happened if you hadn’t hit me,” she says, leaning in to kiss her softly, “what an amazing blessing that was.” 

Alex smiles at her, “Yes, it was,” she says, pulling her for another kiss. “We still need to tell Christen and the others what really happened, though,” 

Tobin nods, “Yeah, maybe the next time we do dinner in the city with them or something?” 

“Sounds good,” Alex agrees. 

Tobin slides off her, lying on her back next to her. She winces and pulls up on one elbow, using her free hand to pull something out from under her. “What is this?” she questions, holding up an oblong object. 

Alex smirks, “That is a vibrator,” she replies. 

Tobin’s eyebrows raise, “Oh,”

She then shifts again, reaching under her thigh and pulling out a pink silicon item, she looks questioningly at Alex. 

Alex winks at her, “Clit stimulator,” 

“Oh, was this the thing that made me?” Tobin stops as Alex nods knowingly. She inspects it, “This was amazing.” 

Tobin lets her head fall back on the mattress, looking at Alex fondly, “I’ve never been this adventurous,” she admits, “and I think I’ll be a little sore for a couple of days,” she smiles, “but it was so worth it.”

“It was a lot of fun introducing you to them,” Alex nods, “it’s really cool that you’re so open minded and willing to try this type of stuff. Not everyone is.” 

Tobin winks at her, “What I do want to try is to fuck you with that dildo,” she says, “it was unreal when you put it in me and then rode me cowgirl,” she bites her lip, “fuck, that was so hot.” 

“It felt great,” Alex nods, “you moving your hips like that,” then she pouts, “but I wanted your hands on me, pinching my nipples, sucking on them.” 

Tobin rolls her eyes, “Well, you kind of tied me to the bed, so…” 

“Next time,” Alex grins, “next time, you can tie me up,” she wiggles her eyebrows at her, “or whatever you think you want to try.” 

Tobin thinks, exaggeratedly tapping her two fingers to her chin, then she glances at Alex, “What about fucking you from behind?” 

“I’d like that,” Alex grins. 

“What about fucking you in the barn?” Tobin asks, “I’ll wear my hat,” she grins, a giggle escaping her. 

“What about we stop talking about this, because you’re making me wet just thinking about it.” Alex suggests. 

Tobin grins at her, her eyes wide, “I didn’t change.” She repeats. She looks at Alex earnestly, “Do you think it’s really over?” 

“I do,” Alex replies as she nods her head, “I really do.” 

Alex leans over and kisses her, “Let’s get cleaned up,” she suggests, “I’m starving,” 

“Me too,” Tobin agrees, “I need a Gatorade, you want one?” 

“Sure,” Alex replies, sitting up and gathering the toys. She puts them on a towel, gets her bag and brings them to the bathroom to clean. 

 

Both of them are pretty tired from their physical activities, deciding to order food in, munching happily on Chinese while sitting on the couch. Alex takes Tobin’s plate when they both finish eating, knowing she has to be exhausted. She cleans up the kitchen, coming back to the couch and is mildly surprised to see that she is still awake. 

Tobin is slouched on the couch with her feet up on the ottoman, her eyes unfocused looking towards the wall, her eyebrows scrunched up, thinking. 

Alex slides in next to her, placing her hand on Tobin’s thigh. 

Tobin turns her head and looks at her, “I can’t feel them,” she says quietly. 

“Who?” Alex questions. 

“The wolf pack,” Tobin replies, frowning, “I can’t sense them anymore,” 

Alex is quiet, unsure how to reply, part of her is thrilled and yet also a little sad, seeing Tobin’s expression. 

“I miss Christine and Kling,” Tobin says softly, “they’ve been such good friends.” 

“Well, text them, have them over some time, if they’re still around.” Alex suggests, “I’d like to get to know them better.” 

“You wouldn’t mind?” Tobin turns to her, studying her face. 

Alex snorts, “Not at all,” she says, taking Tobin’s hand and lacing their fingers together, “you know, if you wanted to contact you other friends, from back home, I wouldn’t mind if they visited either.” 

“Yeah?” Tobin asks carefully.

“Yeah,” Alex nods, “this is your home too, you know, and I want you to feel comfortable having whoever you want come here.” 

“I’ve been scared to reach out to them,” Tobin admits, scrunching her mouth up. She looks up at Alex, “my friends back home. I mean, what do I say? It’s been over a year.”

“You just do it,” Alex shrugs, “and tell them what you said to Perry.” 

Tobin nods, thinking. 

“Not all of it, of course, but enough. Let them know about the threats, about how they watched you.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, “maybe,” she considers, “I just feel like an asshole.” 

Alex slides an arm around Tobin’s shoulders and hugs her close, “You’re not an asshole.” She states firmly. “You got caught up in something that was completely out of your control. You were threatened, you did it for their safety.” 

Tobin nods as she speaks, sighing, “Yeah,” 

Alex brings a hand up to Tobin’s jaw, holding it tenderly, “If they’ve still been contacting Perry, they want to hear from you as much as you want to get in touch with them. Start with a text.” 

Tobin studies Alex’s face, seeing the encouraging look and the slow smile spreading across her face. She smiles at her and leans in for a kiss, “I will,” she says. 

They sit for a moment, both thinking. Then Tobin turns to her, “How are you doing?” 

“What do you mean?” Alex questions. 

“Allie,” Tobin simply replies. 

Alex sighs, “I miss her,” she admits, “so much.” 

“It’s hard because at the end,” she continues, “she was,” she pauses, “so cruel.” 

“Listen,” Tobin says, shifting to now hold her, “we both were there, we know what happened. It won’t offend me if you talk about her, you won’t offend me if you miss her, she was your friend first. A really good friend, your best friend. I know it hurts, I do. But, please don’t feel you can’t share it with me.” 

Alex sniffles, looking at Tobin, “How can you be so nice about it?” 

Tobin shrugs, “It was a wolf and a witch thing,” she says, “and that was the risk of what I was.” 

“I really liked Allie,” Tobin confides, “Bati, too. I miss them both.”

Alex smiles at Tobin, “What you were,” she says quietly, “I like that.” 

“Me too,” Tobin smiles back at her, “so much.” 

“Although, I have to say, you were a beautiful wolf.” Alex states, “Your little floppy ears were so adorable.” 

Tobin chuckles, “Well, what can I say,” 

“Can I ask you something?” Alex looks at her, seeing her nod, “There were a few times, when you were a wolf, that you would be like, singing me a song, kind of like crooning. What were you saying?” 

Tobin gives her a smile, Alex seeing the tiredness in her eyes. “The first time, I was thanking you for taking care of me and how much I liked you,” she says, “the time in the basement, I was thanking you for loving me,” she leans the side of her head against Alex’s, “and I was telling you how much I loved you and wished so desperately that we would have more time together.” 

Alex turns her head and kisses Tobin softly, repeatedly, not escalating it, just these slow, soft kisses of happiness. 

“We can have our happily ever after,” she says quietly, leaning her head on Tobin’s shoulder. 

“We are,” Tobin agrees, “we are right now, this second, right here.” 

Fini 

Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with this story. Your kudos and kind and enthusiastic comments were very much appreciated. I know there are some loose ends that haven't been addressed just yet, gotta hold back a few things for Part 2. 
> 
> I'll be away for a bit, but I promise to come back as soon as i can. 
> 
> Thanks again,  
> MT


End file.
